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A    COMPEND 


OF  THE 


Principles  of  Homoeopattiy 


AS  TAUGHT  BY  HAHNEMANN, 

AND  VKRIFIED  BY  A  CENTURY  OF  CLINICAL 

APPLICATION, 


WIVL.    BOKRICKK,    M.   D. 

Professor  of  Materia  Medica  aud  Therapeutics,  at  the  Hahnemann  Hospital 

College  of  San  Francisco;  Associate  Author  of  the  Twelve  Tissue 

Remedies  of  Sehuessler;  Stepping  Stone  to  Homoeopathy; 

Member  of  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy, 

Etc.,  Etc. 


SAN  FRANCISCO: 

B0ERICK:E     &     RUNYON 

1896. 


COPYRIGHTED  1896, 

BY 

BOERICKK    &    RUNYON 


Jos.  WrNTRKBUKN    CO., 

Printers  and   Ei.ectrotypers, 
San  Francisco. 


PREFACE. 


Hahnemann's  Organon  is  the  great  text-book  of  the 
homoeopathic  school.  It  contains  philosophical  con- 
ceptions and  practical  directions  for  the  establishment 
of  a  true  science  of  therapeutics,  and  all  genuine  pro- 
gress towards  this  goal  is  in  the  direction  pointed  out 
in  that  work.  To  fix  its  principles  clearly  in  the  mind 
of  the  student,  to  faithfully  apply  them  in  practice,  is 
the  special  duty  and  high  privilege  of  Homoeopathy. 
The  more  this  is  done,  the^more  will  this  masterly  book 
become  a  veritable  mountain  of  therapeutic  light  to  the 
practitioner. 

Hahnemann's  teachings,  and  the  therapeutic  edifice 
erected  by  the  homoeopathic  school,  are  based  upon 
two  distinct  factors.  On  the  one  hand,  upon  facts  of 
observation  and  experiment  obtained  by  strict  adher- 
ence to  the  inductive  methods  of  research,  facts  that 
can  thus  be  verified  at  all  times;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  upon  new  ideas  resulting  from  the  exercise  of 
deductive  reasoning,  ideas  belonging  possibly  to  a 
larger  and  higher  realm,  and  to  some  extent  beyond 
the  acceptance  of  modern  scientific  thought,  but  never- 
theless capable  of  great  power  in  achieving  curative 
results. 

Until  quite  recently,  the  tendency  of  modern  homoe- 
opathy was  to  bend  its  energies  perhaps  too  exclusively 
upon  the  acquisition  of  the  facts  yielding  immediate 
results,  while  neglecting  to  some  extent  the  study  of 


iv  Preface. 

the  underlying  principles.  With  neglect  of  the  study 
of  homoeopathic  institutes  came  coquetry  with  old- 
school  methods,  and  the  alluring  adoption  of  modern 
palliative  and  mechanical  therapeutics,  leading  un- 
questionably to  deterioration  of  our  distinctive  prac- 
tice. The  reaction  had  to  come.  We  are  in  the  midst 
of  it.  A  homoeopathic  renaissance  is  upon  us.  Teach 
and  study  the  Organon  is  its  watchword.  This  little 
book  is  intended  to  be  an  introduction  and  an  aid  to  a 
fuller  study  and  wider  acceptance  of  Hahnemann's 
doctrines.  It  does  not  pretend  to  be  more  than  an 
attempt  to  elucidate  the  salient  and  vital  points  often 
abstrusely  and  always  metaphorically  treated  by  Hah- 
nemann, and  thus  to  familiarize  the  student  with  the 
fundamental  groundwork  of  our  school.  These  essen- 
tial doctrines  do  not  include  the  necessary  acceptance 
of  every  statement  of  Hahnemann  as  of  equal  and  ab- 
solute importance.  Indeed,  a  wise  discrimination  is 
necessary,  for  the  minor  things  may  be  instructive  or 
obstructive,  or  even  destructive,  according  to  the  way 
they  are  held;  they  may,  therefore,  be  useful  or  other- 
wise for  the  mental  development  of  the  physician  or 
the  scientific  evolution  of  the  school. 

The  author  has  gladly  availed  himself  of  everything 
published  that  furthered  the  end  in  view,  and  he  hopes 
that  the  little  volume  will  be  used  by  the  student  and 
young  practitioner  as  a  first  stepping-stone  to  the  rich 
mine  of  deep  philosophy  and  practical  suggestion  con- 
tained in  the  writings  of  Samuel  Hahnemann. 

WM.  BOERICKE,  M.  D. 
San  Francisco,  September,  1896. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THK  THERAPEUTIC   FIEI.D.  Pages. 

Three  methods  of  combating  disease  :  Preventive  medi- 
cine; Palliative  medicine;  Curative  medicine Medic- 
inal therapeutics Empiricism Practice  according 

to  some  pathological  theory:  i.  Allopathy.  2.  Anti- 
pathy, or  Eantiopathy.  3.  Organo-Therapy Objec- 
tions to  Antipathetic  treatment Practice  based  upon 

the  Law  of  Cure The  first  promulgation  of  this  prin- 
ciple  The  development  of  the  homoeopathic  princi- 
ple  Homoeopathy,  the  science   of  therapeutics 

The  great  central  truths  of  Homoeopathy Isopathic 

medication  and  its  modern  form  of  serum-therapy 1-13 

CHAPTER  II. 

PRINCIPIvES   OF  PHARMACOI.OGY. 

Materia   Medica Drugs  and   drug-action Medicinal 

force  is  a  distinct  property  of  drugs Doctrine  of  Sig- 
natures  Other  methods  of  determining  the  medicinal 

virtues  of  drugs Experimental   Pharmacology 

Physiological    action    of   drugs The   homoeopathic 

method  by  means   of   drug    experimentation    on    the 

healthy— drug-proving Drug  Pathogenesy The 

value  of  Toxicology  as  illustrating  drug  action Dif- 
ferent applications  of  drug  action 14-22 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE   HOMCEOPATHIC   MATERIA   MEDICA. 

The   first   book  on   drug  effects Hahnemann's  Materia 

Medica  Pura Publication  of  the  "Chronic  Diseases," 

Sources  of  the  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica The 

comparative  value  of  the  three  sources  of  symptoms. 

The  Hahnemannian  Schema The  repertory  or  index 

of  symptoms How  to  learn  drug  pathogenesy 23-30 


vi  Contents. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
D  R  U  G-P  ROVING.  Pages. 
The  proving  of  medicines General  rules  for  drug-prov- 
ing  Directions   for  provers Dosage   required  for 

proving Female  provers Repetition  of  doses 

Age  and  sex Temperament Re-provings Her- 

ing's  rules  lor  provers How  to  describe  symptoms 

obtained  from  a  proving  The  three  essential  features 

of  every  complete  symptom Primary  and  secondary 

drug  effects Hahnemann's    method  of  conducting 

provings 31-37 

CHAPTER  V. 

INTERPRKTATION  OF  DRUG  PATHOGENESIS. 
Of  general  symptoms Of  peculiar  or  characteristic  symp- 
toms  Of  certain  elective  affinities  to  special  organs 

or  functions Locality,  or   seat,  of  action vSensa- 

tions,  or  kind,  of  action Modalities  and  concomi- 
tants  Boeninghausen's  method  of  interpreting  symp- 
tomatology  38-44 

CHAPTER  VI. 

DRUG   RKI.ATIONSHIP. 

Family   relation,   or   collateral,   side   relation Antidotal 

relation Concordant,  or  compatible,  relationship 

Complementary  relation Inimical  relation 45-48 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   APPIylCATlON   OF   HOMCEOPATHY. 

The   examination   of  the   patient The  selection   of   the 

remedy The  administration  of  the  single  remedy. 

The  dose  and  its  repetition The  totality  of  the  symp- 
toms  Special  precautions  to  be  observed Object- 
ive symptoms The  totality  in  acute  diseases The 

collective  totality  of  epidemic  diseases Interpretation 

of  the  totality Characteristic,  or  peculiar,  symp- 
toms  Mental  symptoms First,  or  oldest,  symp- 
toms  Etiological  factors Late  symptoms 

Functional  symptoms Need  of  pathology General, 


Contents.  vii 

Pages. 

or  absolute,  symptoms Totality  of  equality Path- 
ological similarity Method  of  treating  slight  ail- 
ments  Absence  of  characteristic  symptoms   in   the 

totality Partial,  or  one-sided,  diseases .....49-62 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    SIMir^IMUM. 

The  indicated  remedy The  single  remedy Alterna- 
tion, or  rotation,  of  remedies 63-65 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  SECOND  PRESCRIPTION. 

Rules  governing  the  second  prescription Three  precau- 
tionary rules  of  Hahnemann Diet  and  regimen  dur- 
ing homoeopathic  treatment Regimen  in  acute  dis- 
eases  66-72 

CHAPTER  X. 

HAHNEMANN'S   NOSOI^OGY. 

Acute  diseases Chronic  diseases Drug  diseases 

The  evolution   of   Hannemann's  doctrine  of   chronic 

diseases Cause  of  recurrence  of  chronic  diseases 

The  skin  phase  of  chronic  diseases The  underlying 

facts  of  the  Psoric  theory Anti-psoric  remedies 

Hahnemann's  suggestions  in  regard  to   administering 

anti-psoric   remedies Other  miasms    recognized  by 

Hahnemann Sycosis Eradicative   possibilities  of 

anti-psoric  treatment Pre-natal  treatment  by  means 

of  anti-psoric  remedies Suggestions  for  the  treatment 

of  chronic  diseases Partial  diseases  and  local  affec- 
tions  Objections  to  local  application  of  a  medicine 

simultaneously  with  its  internal  use The  local  appli- 
cation of  non-homoeopathic  remedies The  local  dis- 
ease is  nature's  efforts  to  relieve  by  derivation The 

mental  state  and  temperament  of  the  patient Mental 

diseases  and  their  treatment Acute  insanity Inter- 
mittent and  alternating  diseases 73-89 


\iii  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

POSOI.OGY.  Pages. 

Different  effects  between  large  and  small  doses Reasons 

for  the  difference  in  dosage  between  drugs  chosen  homoe- 

opathically   and  anti-pathically Reason   why  the 

honiceopathic  dose  is  necessarily  smaller Aggrava- 
tion follows  sometimes  even  a  minute  homoeopathic  dose. 

Historical   development  of   the  homcEpathic  dose 

Repetition  of  doses The    theory  of  Dynamization. 

Hahnemann's  reasons  why  the  skeptic  ridicules  these 
homoeopathic  attenuations 90-98 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  PREPARATION   OF   HOMCEOPATHIC   MEDICINES. 

Pharmacopoeia Essential  conditions  for  preparing  homoe- 

pathic  medicines The  menstrua  used  in  homoeopathic 

pharmacy Alcohol Sugar  of  milk Distilled 

water The  unit  of  '  medicinal  strength Prepara- 
tions of  drugs Aqueous  solutions Tinctures 

Dilutions  or  liquid    attenuations Centesimal    and 

Decimal   scale Triturations To  convert  tritura- 
tions into  liquid  potencies Pellets,   disks,   cones, 

tablets,  etc 99-108 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Hahnemann's  Philosophy 109-116 

APPENDIX. 

A  Catechism  on  Samuel  Hahnemann's  "Organon,"  and 
"Chronic  Diseases,"  by  the  late  Professor  Samuel 
Lilienthal 117-152 


A  COMPEND 


OF   THE 


PRINCIPLES  OF  HOMCEOPATHY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  THERAPEUTIC  FIELD. 

The  aim  of  the  art  of  medicine  is  to  cure  disease,  and 
the  physician's  highest  ideal  of  a  cure,  as  Hahnemann 
says,  Organon  §  2,  is  the  rapid,  gentle  and  permanent 
restoration  of  health,  or  the  removal  and  annihilation 
of  disease  in  its  whole  extent,  in  the  shortest,  most  reli- 
able and  most  harmless  manner,  and  on  easily  com- 
prehensible principles,  that  is,  with  the  least  possible 
expenditure  of  time,  money,  vitality  and  suffering. 

In  pursuance  of  this  object,  the  physician  presses 
into  his  service  all  agencies  which  tend  to  health.  This 
is  the  part  of 

Therapeutics  [therapeuein,  to  attend  upon].  It  in- 
cludes all  that  relates  to  the  science  and  art  of  healing, 
includes  all  agents,  medicines  among  them,  which  may 
aid  this  purpose.  It  embraces  dietetics,  climate,  cloth- 
ing, bathing,  nursing,  application  of  heat,  cold,  elec- 
tricity and  all  other  means  used  by  the  physician  for 
restoring  health,  when  that  is  possible,  or  in  palliating 
violent  conditions  or  incurable  diseases,  or  in  prevent- 
ing their  development.     Hence  there  are 

Three  methods  of  combating  disease,  of  which 
every  physician  is  bound  to  avail  himself.     They  are: 


2  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

1.  Preventive  medicine. 

2.  Palliative  medicine. 

3.  Curative  medicine. 

These  cover  the  whole  field  of  possible  therapeutic 
activity.* 

.  Preventive  Medicine  includes  the  application  of 
everything  that  physiology,  hygiene,  sanitary  science, 
etc.,  can  teach  to  lessen  the  development  of  disease 
according  to  the  teaching  in  §  4  of  the  Organon. 

''  The  physician  is  at  the  same  time  a  preserver  of 
health,  when  he  knows  the  causes  that  disturb  health, 
that  produce  and  maintain  disease,  and  when  he  knows 
how  to  remove  them  from  healthy  persons." 

It  includes  much  of  bacteriological  knowledge,  anti- 
septic medication,  subjects  that  have  made  enormous 
strides  in  recent  years.  It  includes  as  well  the  judi- 
cious use  of  homoeopathic  remedies  in  preventing  or 
modifying  the  development  of  epidemic  and  hereditary 
diseases. 

Palliative  Medicine.  Palliative  medicines  are  of 
two  kinds: 

(1)  The  use  of  drugs  in  their  physiological  dosage 
for  their  direct  effects,  as  the  use  of  Opium  and  Mor- 
phine for  pain.  This  is  the  common  method  of  the 
old  school. 

(2)  By  the  carefully  selected  Homoeopathic  remedy 
given  in  minute  dosage.  This  frequently  yields  bril- 
liant results  in  palliating  where  a  cure  is  impossible. 
This  latter  method  is  to  be  tried  in  every  case  before 
drug  palliation- is  used. 

This  is  almost  the  sole  resource  of  the  old  school, 
and  consequently  much  abused,  but  in  the  hands  of  the 

*This  was  aptly  and  perfectly  expressed  by  Dr.  Bering  to  the 
author  in  the  German  words  Rindern,  Lindern,  Mindern,  embodying 
every  possibility  of  a  physician's  distinctive  sphere  of  usefulness. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  3 

true  physician  who  knows  its  subordinate  place,  it 
constitutes  a  legitimate  method  in  incurable  diseases, 
beyond  the  operation  of  the  law  of  cure,  where  we  can 
only  alleviate,  not  radically  cure.  While  Homoeopathy 
reduces  the  need  and  occasions  for  the  use  of  mere  pal- 
liatives to  a  small  limit,  yet  palliation  has  its  use  in 
the  practice  of  medicine,  but  it  is  always  the  expression 
on  the  part  of  the  physician  of  his  impotence  to  cure 
radically. 

Curative  Medicine  is  almost  exclusively  occupied  by 
Homoeopathy,  for  this  method  alone  cures  without 
subjecting  the  patient  to  new  pains  and  discomforts; 
it  alone  fulfills  the  highest  aim  of  the  physician — to 
heal  quickly,  gently,  radically,  according  to  scientific 
and  rational  methods. 

All  physicians  are  compelled  to  avail  themselves  of 
all  three  methods  at  times.  As  sanitarians  and  hygi- 
enists,  physicians  can  do  much  to  prevent  zymotic  and 
epidemic  diseases;  as  homoeopathists,  much  can  be 
done  in  the  eradication  of  inherited  disease  tendencies 
and  preventing  their  development;  and  as  the  laws  that 
govern  curative  medicine  are  applied  more  fully,  the 
need  for  mere  palliation  will  correspondingly  grow  less. 

Leaving  aside  the  large  field  of  General  Therapeutics, 
common  to  all  physicians,  of  whatever  school  of  medi- 
cine, we  restrict  ourselves  to  the  consideration  of  the 
different  uses  of  drugs  as  therapeutic  agents. 

Medicinal  Tlierapeutics  is  the  application  of  drugs 
as  medicines  for  the  purpose  of  modifying  or  curing 
disease.  Drugs  are  employed  in  the  medicinal  thera- 
peutic field  either  empirically,  or  according  to  the  Law 
of  Similars — i.  e.,  scientifically,  because  according  to 
fixed  law. 

Empiricism  is  based  upon  mere  experience  and  is 
practice   without   regard   to    any  theory  or   scientific 


4  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

deduction  or  investigation.  A  remedy  is  given  which 
experience  has  shown  to  be  effective  in  a  similar  case. 
It  is  the  rule  of  authority  and  leads  to  mechanical 
routinism  in  practice.  Certain  remedies  have,  how- 
ever, obtained  a  permanent  place  in  medicine  that 
have  been  discovered  empirically,  and  whose  mode  of 
action  cannot  be  readily  explained.  It  has  been  found 
that  certain  drugs  act  curatively  against  certain  defi- 
nite diseases  when  given  in  material  dosage.  They  are 
known  as  specifics.  There  are  not  many,  but  such  are 
Quinine  in  malaria,  Mercury  in  syphilis.  Iodine  in 
glandular  affections.  Salicylic  acid  in  rheumatism,  etc. 
These  occupy  a  rather  unique  position,  though  it  can 
be  claimed  that  the  relationship  is  a  homoeopathic  one, 
although  it  differs  from  the  usual  homoeopathic  rela- 
tionship between  remedies  to  disease  in  requiring 
material  dosage. 

Practice  according  to  some  pathological  theory  is 

characteristic  of  the  old  school  of  medicine.  It  is  con- 
stantly changing,  as  different  views  on  physiology  and 
pathology  lead  to  corresponding  therapeutic  changes. 
It  is  therefore  one  of  the  most  unstable  of  methods* 
At  present,  pathology  being  dominated  by  bacterio- 
logical views,  the  corresponding  therapeutic  measures 
are  largely  germicidal,  anti-septic  or  anti-toxical.  But 
already  bacterial  pathology,  and  as  a  consequence  its 
therapeutics  show  signs  of  the  inevitable  displace- 
ment.* 

The  use  of  medicines  when  administered  according 
to  some  pathological  theory  is  either  according  to  allo- 
pathic or  antipathic  method. 

*Says  Lawson  Tait,  that  during  his  professional  life  he  has 
learned  and  unlearned  some  four  or  tive  theories  of  inflammation, 
and  he  predicts  that  the  present  prevalent  theory,  coccophobia  he 
calls  it,  will  soon  go  the  way  of  the  other  theories. 


Phinciples  of  Homceopathy.  6 

Allopathy  (from  Alios,  other  and  Pathos,  a  disease), 
where  the  symptoms  are  different,  the  same  organs  and 
tissues  being  affected  in  a  different  manner,  or  other 
organs  and  tissues  being  affected  in  some  manner;  the 
relationship  being  one  of  indefinite  diversity* 

Allopathy  usually  attacks  the  parts  most  exempt 
from  the  disease,  in  order  to  draw  away  the  disease 
through  them  and  thus  to  expel  it,  as  is  imagined. 
§  55  Organon. 

Antipathy,  or  Eailtiopathy  (from  Eanthios,  contrary, 
and  Pathos,  disease) — where  the  symptoms,  or  condi- 
tions indicated  by  them,  are  opposites;  the  relationship 
being  one  of  direct  antagonism.  It  is  a  palliative 
method,  pure  and  simple,  wherewith  the  physician  can 
appear  to  be  most  useful  and  can  usually  gain  the 
patient's  confidence  by  deluding  him  with  momentary 
amelioration. 

The  inefficacy  and  danger  of  this  method  as  applied 
in  diseases  of  a  chronic  nature  is  easily  verified  by 
clinical  observation.     Study  §  56-71  Organon. 

'^All  pure  experience  and  exact  experiment  will  con- 
vince us  that  persistent  symptoms  of  disease  are  so 
imperfectly  alleviated  or  exterminated  by  contrary 
symptoms  of  a  drug,  used  according  to  antipathic  or 
palliative  method,  that  after  a  brief  period  of  apparent 
relief,  they  will  break  forth  again  in  a  more  marked 
degree,  and  visibly  aggravated."    Organon  §  23. 

In  this  category  of  allopathic  treatment  belong  the 
therapeutic  method  of  Biochemistry,  introduced  by  Dr. 
Schuessler  of  Germany,  and  the  various  forms  of  chem- 
ical treatment,  such  as  Hensel's,  etc.  The  former 
adopted  from  Homoeopathy  its  method  of  diminishing 
dosage  and  some  of  its  distinctive  remedies,  but  other- 

*Dake,  Pathogenetic  Therapeutics. 


6  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

wise  it  has  no  relationship  to  Homoeopathy,  since  its 
therapeutic  procedures  are  based  upon  a  pathological 
theory  and  not  upon  the  symptoms  of  the  individual 
patient,  which  alone  constitute  the  basis  of  homoeo- 
pathic therapeutics.     Here  also  belongs 

Orgauo-Therapy,  which  is  that  therapeutic  method 
which  aims  to  supply  deficiencies  in  the  functional 
activity  of  human  organs  by  the  administration  of 
substances  derived  from   similar   organs   in  animals. 

It  has  been  found  that  the  extract  of  Thyroid  gland 
of  animals,  administered  to  the  human  organism, 
causes  a  rapid  disappearance  of  the  morbid  symptoms 
of  myxedema — a  form  of  disease  or  atrophy  of  the 
thyroid,  interfering  with  the  performance  of  its 
function. 

The  doctrine  that  sound  organs  of  certain  animals 
are  useful  in  diseases  of  those  organs  in  man  so  lately 
revived  in  the  old  school,  was  clearly  taught  by  Oswald 
Croll,  a  disciple  of  Paracelsus.  Its  modern  extension 
is  unreasonable  and  unscientific,  and  a  passing  thera- 
peutic fad. 

Besides  these  special  and  modern  tendencies  of  old 
school  practice,  there  are  certain  perennial  features 
characteristic  of  it.  In  place  of  the  former  hypothet- 
ical assumptions  of  the  hidden  causes  of  disease  that 
proved  delusive  and  deceptive  as  a  basis  for  treatment, 
material  causes  of  disease  were  next  assumed  to  exist, 
and  hence  the  treatment,  based  upon  such  hypotheses, 
consisted  mostly  in  eliminating  from  the  organism  the 
supposed  offending  cause,  therefore  the  list  of  purga- 
tives, emetics,  sudorifics  counter-irritants,  surgical  pro- 
cedures, local  medication  of  all  kinds.  But  though  a 
temporary  relief  is  frequently  obtained  thereby,  no 
permanent  cure  is  established,  rather  an  increase  in 
the  very  condition,  in  the  case  of  chronic  disease;  or 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  7 

metastases  appear  sooner  or  later,  which,  however,  are 
then  looked  upon  as  new  diseases,  and  not  as  direct  re- 
sults of  ill-adapted  treatment. 

"  But  in  by  far  the  greatest  proportion  of  cases  of 
disease,  known  as  chronic,  these  impetuous,  weakening, 
and  indirect  therapeutie  measures  of  the  old  school 
scarcely  ever  prove  to  be  of  the  least  benefit.  For  a 
few  days  at  most  they  suspend  one  or  another  of  those 
troublesome  manifestations  of  disease  which  return, 
however,  as  soon  as  nature  has  become  inured  to  that 
counter-stimulus;  and  the  disease  will  re-appear  with 
more  violence,  because  the  vital  powers  have  been  re- 
duced by  the  pain  of  counter-irritation  and  improper 
evacuations."  * 

Objections  to  Antipathic  Treatment. 

(1)  It  is  merely  symptomatic  treatment  attacking 
some  prominent  single  condition,  instead  of  the  disease 
as  a  whole,  and  neccosarily  leads  to  polypharmacy  in  the 
endeavor  to  meet  different  conditions  at  the  same  time. 

(2)  The  transient  amelioration  is  followed  by  an 
increased  aggravation  of  the  very  condition  to  be  re- 
moved, necessitating  increasing  dosage. 

(3)  Drug  diseases  are  established  that  complicate 
hopelessly  the  original  disease  of  the  patient;  the  pos- 
sibility of  harm  by  the  introduction  of  the  necessary 
large  dosage  of  drugs  and  foreign  substances  always 
being  very  evident. 

None  of  these  therapeutic  methods  are  curative  in 
the  true  sense  by  directly  modifying  the  vital  activities 
of  the  organism.  In  the  cases  where  such  treatment  is 
ultimately  successful  (and  certain  temporary  beneficial 
results  cannot  be  denied),  the  homoeopathic  method  is 
more  direct,  safer,  more  radical,  and  with  no  possible 
harm  to  the  patient. 

*  "Organon,'"  Introduction. 


8  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

Practice  based  upon  the  Law  of  Cure  is  the  only 
truly  scientific  therapeutic  method,  since  it  alone 
fulfills  the  conditions  of  science  and  offers  a  medical 
practice  true  for  all  time  and  applicable  to  all  forms  of 
disease  in  men  and  animals. 

Homoeopathy  is  the  only  therapeutic  method  based . 
upon  law. 

Siniilia  Siniilibus  Curantur.*  Like  affections  are 
cured  by  their  similars,  expresses  the  law  for  drug 
selection  in  all  curable  forms  of  disease.  By  its 
application,  the  curative  remedy  is  found  in  curable 
cases;  and  in  incurable  cases,  the  same  law  usually 
points  to  a  remedy  that  will  act  palliatively  in  most 
conditions.  By  Law  of  Cure  is  meant  the  definite  path 
along  which  a  drug  force  moves  to  cure  a  diseased  con- 
dition. This  law  forms  the  basis  of  Homoeopathy 
[from  the  Greek  words  homiios  and  pathos,  meaning 
similar  affections],  the  therapeutic  method  that  applies 
the  principle  that  any  drug  which  is  capable  of  pro- 

*  There  exists  a  misconception  concerning  the  phraseology  em- 
ploy ed  by  Hahnemann  in  the  expression  of  the  Law  of  Similars. 
Dr.  K.  E.  Dudgeon,  the  recognized  authority  concerning  the  works 
of  Hahnemann,  writes  in  the  appendix  to  his  translation  of  the 
Organon,  "  Hahnemann  always  wrote  the  formula  Similia  Simili- 
bus  Curentur,  thereby  giving  an  imperative  or  mandatory  turn  to 
the  phrase."  The  translation  must  evidently  be  "Let  likes  be 
treated  by  likes."  "  Darch  Beobachtung,  Nachdenken  und  Erfahrung 
fand  ich,  dass  im  Gegentheile  von  leiztern  [Erleichterungsmittel  und 
Palliative  durch  die  Curart  contraria  contrariis]  die  wahre,  7'khtige, 
hesie  Heilung  zufindensei  in  dem  Satze  Similia  Similibua  Curentur. 
Wr'ihle,  um  sanft,  schnell,  gerwiss  und  dauerhaft  zu  heilen,  in  jedem 
Kratikheilsfalle  e'lne  Argnei,  welche  ein  aehnliches  Leiden  fur  sich 
erregen  kann,  als  sie  heilen  soil!"  Nevertheless,  Similia  Simiiibus 
Curantur  has  been  almost  universally  adopted  by  the  homoeopathic 
school,  and  the  belief  and  conviction  have  been  unconsciously  ex- 
pressed thereby  that  it  is  a  laic  of  nature — S.  S.  Curantur — Likes 
are  cured  by  likes;  rather  than  a  rule  of  art,  S.  S.  Curentur— Let 
likes  be  treated  by  likes. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  9 

ducing  symptoms  of  disease  in  the  healthy  will  remove 
similar  symptoms,  and  thus  cure  the  disease  when  found 
in  the  sick. 

The  first  promulgation  of  tliis  principle  was  made 
by  Hahnemann  in  1796,  in  an  essay  published  in 
Hufeland's  Journal,  entitled  "  On  a  new  principle  for 
ascertaining  the  curative  properties  of  drugs."  In  this 
essay  Hahnemann  formulated  his  conclusions  thus: 
"  Every  powerful  medicinal  substance  produces  in  the 
human  body  a  peculiar  kind  of  disease,  the  more 
powerful  the  medicine,  the  more  peculiar,  marked  and 
violent  the  disease.  We  should  imitate  nature,  which 
sometimes  cures  a  chronic  disease  by  superadding 
another  and  employ  in  the  disease  we  wish  to  cure  that 
medicine  which  is  able  to  produce  another  very  similar 
artificial  disease,  and  the  former  will  be  cured — Similia 
Similibus." 

This  was  six  years  after  his  first  experiments  with 
Cinchona  bark,  which  was  the  first  drug  experimented 
with  and  which  gave  striking  evidences  of  the  simi- 
larity between  the  effects  it  is  capable  of  producing,  and 
those  for  which  it  had  ever  been  employed,  and  which 
was  the  beginning  of  a  rational,  scientific,  Materia 
Medica,  and  of  a  scientific  therapeutics  based  thereon. 
The  most  characteristic  feature  about  the  development  of 
Homoeopathy  is  the  strict  observance  of  the  inductive 
method  of  research  that  Hahnemann  adopted.  Care- 
ful expeiiments  were  instituted,  all  preconceived  theo- 
ries were  ostracized,  and  the  results  and  rigid  deduc- 
tion from  them  were  not  published  until  years  had 
elapsed  in  which  to  verify  all  the  statements. 

The  development  of  the  homoeopathic  principle 

began  in  the  mind  of  Hahnemann  with  his  experiments 
with  Cinchona,  which  in  turn  led  him  to  other  experi- 
ments with  other  drugs  and  patient  search  of  recorded 


10  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

action  and  uses  of  drugs  throughout  the  medical  liter- 
ature. His  first  suggestions  fell  unheeded  by  the  pro- 
fession; but  he  continued  his  experiments,  and  nine 
years  later  published  a  work  in  Latin  ''On  the  Positive 
Effects  of  Medicines,"  and  at  the  same  time  declared 
the  principle  of  Similars  as  a  law  of  general  applica- 
tion. Five  years  more  of  further  reflection  and  experi- 
ment enabled  him  to  perfect  his  system  and  embody 
its  principles  in  his  great  book,  the  "Organon  of 
Rational  Medicine."  The  following  year,  while  a 
teacher  at  the  University  of  Leipsic,  he  published  vol- 
ume I  of  his  "Materia  Medica  Pura,"  containing  original 
provings  made  by  himself  and  members  of  his  family, 
and  assisted  later  by  some  enthusiastic  disciples  that 
gathered  around  him  at  the  University;  and  in  1821 
he  published  the  final  sixth  volume,  containing  the 
positive  effects  of  sixty-four  medicines.  With  the  pub- 
lication of  these  two  great  works,  Hahnemann  provided 
both  the  theoretical  and  practical  requirements  of 
Homoeopathy  as  a  distinct  method  of  therapeutics. 
He  was  the  first  to  apply  the  inductive  method  of 
research  to  therapeutics.  He  says,  in  the  preface  to 
the  second  edition  of  the  Organon,  published  in  1818: 
"  The  true  healing  art  is  in  its  nature  a  pure  science  of 
experience,  and  can  and  must  rest  on  clear  facts  and 
on  the  sensible  phenomena  pertaining  to  their  sphere 
of  action.  Its  subjects  can  only  be  derived  from  pure 
experience  and  observation,  and  it  dares  not  take  a 
single  step  out  of  the  sphere  of  pure,  well-observed 
experience  and  experiment."  And,  again,  "  Every 
one  of  its  conclusions  about  the  actual  must  always  be 
based  on  sensible  perceptions,  facts  and  experiences,  if 
it  would  elicit  the  truth." 

Homoeopathy,  the  Science  of  Therapeutics.    Such 
a  healing  art  conformable  to  nature  and  experience,  a 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  11 

science  of  therapeutics,  therefore,  did  not  exist  hefore 
Hahnemann. 

The  most  marked  feature  of  the  early  homoeopathy 
was  its  entire  freedom  from  all  theory  and  hypothesis; 
it  was  a  protest  against  all  and  any  pathological  theory 
as  a  basis  of  therapeutics. 

As  taught,  it  was  the  true  science  of  therapeutics, 
based  upon  exact  observation  of  natural  phenomena  in 
disease  and  drug  action,  and  noting  the  law  governing 
their  mutual  relationship. 

On  this  solid  ground  of  scientific  observation,  all 
Homoeopathists  base  their  practice,  whatever  differences 
have  arisen,  date  from  the  publication  of  Hahnemann's 
theory  of  chronic  diseases  and  drug  dynamization, 
and  in  not  clearly  distinguishing  between  Hahnemann's 
discoveries  and  facts  on  the  one  hand  and  his  illustra- 
tions and  mere  theories  on  the  other.  Whatever 
Hahnemann  published  as  a  fact  has  never  yet  been 
disproved,  but  his  theories  are  not  proven.  It  is  the 
genuine  Hahnemannian  spirit,  as  Hering  says,  totally 
to  disregard  all  theories,  even  those  of  one's  own  fabri- 
cation, when  they  are  in  opposition  to  the  results  of 
pure  experience.  All  theories  and  hypotheses  have  no 
positive  weight  whatever,  only  so  far  as  they  lead  to 
new  experiments  and  afford  a  better  survey  of  the  re- 
sults of  those  already  made. 

The  Great  Central  Truths  of  Homoeopathy. 

(1)  The  totality  of  symptoms  of  the  patient  consti- 
tutes the  disease  for  the  purpose  of  a  cure. 

(2)  Drug  experimentation  on  the  healthy,  so-called 
drug  proving,  is  the  only  reliable  method  to  arrive  at 
a  knowledge  of  the  effects  of  drugs. 

(3)  The  curative  relation  between  these  two  sets  of 
symptomatic  facts  is  the  law  of  similars,  Similia  Simil- 
ibus  Curantur. 


12  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

(4)  The  administration  of  one  single  remedy  at  a 
time. 

(5)  The  minimum  (smallest)  dose  that  will  bring 
about  a  cure. 

(6)  Repetition  of  the  dose  should  cease  when  marked 
improvement  sets  in. 

Isopathic  Medication  and  its  modern  form  of 
Serum -Therapy.  This  means  the  employment  of  mor- 
bid products  of  a  disease  for  the  cure  of  the  same  dis- 
ease [Aequalia  aequalibus].  It  is  of  very  ancient  date, 
and  of  late  has  received  renewed  attention  through  the 
researches  of  Pasteur,  Koch,  and  others;  it  necessitates 
the  attenuation  of  the  virus,  in  order  to  be  used  medic- 
inally; it  was  taught  as  early  as  400  years  b.  c.  by 
Xenocrates;  it  was  introduced  into  Homoeopathy  by 
Dr.  Lux  in  1823,  and  in  part  adopted  by  Dr.  Hering. 
Lux  taught  that  the  toxins  formed  in  the  body,  prop- 
erly attenuated,  are  capable  of  curing  the  very  diseases 
that  give  rise  to  them — that  is,  every  disease  is  sup- 
posed to  have  within  itself  its  own  antidote. 

In  1830  Hering  proposed  as  a  remedy  for  hydropho- 
bia the  saliva  of  a  rabid  dog,  properly  attenuated;  the 
very  teaching  and  practice  of  Pasteur.  He  also  pro- 
posed Phthisine  as  a  remedy  for  tuberculosis,  and  forty 
years  later  it,  too,  received  popular  and  scientific  en- 
dorsement by  Koch  and  others.  As  early  as  1834, 
Dr.  Stapf,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  early  homoeopath- 
ists,who  looked  upon  the  subject  dispassionately,  says: 
"  I  do  not  doubt  that  the  discovery  of  the  curative  ac- 
tion of  morbid  matters,  in  diseases  that  produced  them, 
to  be  one  of  the  most  important  discoveries  that  has 
been  made  since  the  beginning  of  our  school." 

Nosodes  is  the  homoeopathic  designation  for  such 
morbid  products,  which  are  animal  alkaloids  [pto- 
maines], produced  by  the  decomposition  of  animal  sub- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  13 

stances.  At  first  ptomaines  were  restricted  to  alkaloids 
produced  by  cadaveric  decomposition,  hence  the  name 
(ptomaine,  belonging  to  a  dead  body),  but  now  they 
also  include  alkaloids  of  animal  origin  formed  during 
life  as  a  result  of  chemical  changes  within  the  organ- 
ism. These  alkaloids  have  assumed  great  importance, 
by  reason  of  their  relation  to  the  causation  of  disease, 
and  it  is  probable  that  most  pathogenic  bacteria  pro- 
duce their  effects  through  their  specific  alkaloids.  The 
homoeopathic  nosodes  are  these  specific  alkaloids  atten- 
uated according  to  homoeopathic  methods  and  adminis- 
tered according  to  the  Law  of  Similars.  To  obtain  a 
permanent  place  in  the  Materia  Medica,  as  Psorinum, 
the  principal  of  the  nosodes,  has  already  achieved,  and 
not  be  the  victim  of  a  passing  therapeutic  fad,  as  is  the 
fate  of  most  old-school  therapeutic  novelties,  they  must 
he  proved  on  the  healthy,  and  the  pathogenetic  effects 
thus  obtained  be  the  only  guide  for  their  therapeutic 
application.  To  apply  them  empirically  for  similar 
diseases  corresponding  to  their  origin  as  is  done  by  the 
old-school  with  tuberculin,  antitoxin  is  disastrous  and 
non-homoeopathic. 

Study  in  this  connection: 

The  Organon:  The  Introduction,  called  by  Hahnemann,  "A 
Keview  of  Therapeutics;  allopathy  and  palliative  treatment,  that 
have  hitherto  been  practiced  in  the  old-school  of  medicine, "  together 
with  historical  intimations  of  Homoeopathy  before  Hahnemann's 
time. 

Also,  Organon  $  1-6,  on  the  Functions  of  the  Physician. 

Also,  Homoeopathy,  the  Science  of  Therapeutics,  by  Carroll 
Dunham. 

Homoeopathy,  the  only  system  of  curative  medicine,  by  Charles 
S.  Mack. 

Pathogenic  Therapeutics,  by  J.  P.  Dake,  in  his  Therapeutic 
Methods. 

Hahnemann's  criticism  of  Isopathy,  in  the  Organon,  Introduc- 
tion, note  34. 

Dr.  Dudgeon's  most  valuable  appendix  to  his  translation  and 
edition  of  the  Organon,  page  200. 


14  A   COMPEND   OF  THE 


CHAPTER  II. 

PRINCIPLES   OF  PHARMACOLOGY. 

Pharmacology  {pharmakon,  a  drug,  logos  a  discourse) 
is  a  convenient  term  for  the  whole  subject  of  Materia 
Medica,  pharmacy  and  medicinal  therapeutics.  Speci- 
fically, it  refers  often  to  drug  effects,  as  evinced  from 
experiments  on  animals,  and  as  such  is  the  only  source 
of  modern  old-school  knowledge  of  the  physiological 
action  of  drugs. 

Materia  Medica  is  the  study  of  drugs  in  regard  to 
their  origin,  physical  and  chemical  properties,  but 
especially  and  chiefly  in  regard  to  their  effects  in  modi- 
fying the  health  of  the  body.  The  latter  is  the  dis- 
tinctive field  of  the  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica. 

Drugs  and  Drug  Action.  Drugs  are  substances 
taken  from  all  the  kingdoms  of  nature  that  are  used  as 
medicines.  They  usually  produce  deleterious  effects 
upon  the  body  when  given  in  sufficiently  large  doses  in 
health,  and  they  modify  some  part,  or  the  whole,  of  a 
morbid  state  when  given  to  the  sick.  This  property  is 
discovered  either  empirically  by  observation  of  cases  of 
poisoning,  or  by  systematic  experiments  on  human 
beings  in  health. 

Medicinal  force  is  a  distinct  property  of  drugs, 

by  which  they  modify  vital  activity,  not  by  their  chem- 
ical, physical  or  mechanical  properties,  but  by  their 
specific  dynamic  property,  peculiar,  distinctive  and 
different  in  every  drug.  And  they  can  be  truly  cura- 
tive only  by  reason  of  their  modifying  properties  of  the 
vital  processes.  Each  medicinal  substance,  be  it  plant, 
mineral  or  animal  product,  has  stored  within  its 
material  particles,  and  embodies,  therefore,  its  own  par- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  15 

ticular  medicinal  force,  which  can  be  brought  into 
activity  by  breaking  up  the  outward  particles.  The 
character  of  this  specific  force,  or  the  drug's  medicinal 
properties,  can  only  be  discovered  by  the  vital  test, 
made  by  experimenting  with  different  doses  on  healthy 
human  organisms,  and  to  some  extent  on  animals. 
The  latter  merely  to  see  the  ultimate  lesions  and  or- 
ganic changes  drugs  are  able  to  produce. 

At  one  time,  and  especially  during  the  middle  ages, 
before  the  introduction  of  modern,  scientific  methods, 
the  properties  of  drugs  were  based  upon  the 

Doctrine  of  Signatures.  External  characteristics 
of  a  substance  served  to  indicate  possible  therapeutic 
effects.  Fancied  or  real  resemblances  between  some 
part  of  a  plant  and  some  particular  organ  or  fluid  of 
the  body  pointed  to  therapeutic  relationship.  Thus, 
according  to  this  doctrine,  Digitalis  must  be  of  use  in 
blood  diseases,  because  its  flowers  are  adorned  with 
blood  colored  dots;  Euphrasia  was  famous  as  a  remedy 
for  the  eyes,  because  it  had  a  black  spot  in  its  coralla, 
which  looked  like  a  pupil.* 

The  lungs  of  a  fox  must  be  specific  against  asthma, 
because  this  animal  has  a  very  vigorous  respiration. 

Hypericum  having  red  juice  ought  therefore  to  be  of 
use  in  haemorrhages. 

Euphorbia,  having  a  milky  juice,  must  be  good  for 
increasing  the  flow  of  milk. 

Sticta,  having  some  likeness  to  the  lungs,  was  called 
pulmonarius  and  esteemed  as  a  remedy  for  pulmonary 
complaints. 

Singularly  enough,  in  isolated  instances  at  least,  such 
relationship  actually  does  exist,  as  has  been  verified  by 
subsequent  clinical  application,  and  it  is  possible  that 
an  intuitively  gifted  race  may  see  a  relationship  actu- 

*Grauvogl. 


16  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

ally  existing  between  outward  forms  and  structures  and 
inner  uses.  But  for  purposes  of  modern  scientific  ther- 
apeutics it  is  valueless.  * 

Other  methods  of  determining  the  medicinal  vir- 
tues of  drugs  were  by  the  sense  of  taste  and  of  smell. 
Drugs  with  a  bitter  taste  were  held  to  possess  tonic  and 
stomachic  virtues,  hence  the  "  Bitters  "  of  the  ordinary 
pharmacopoeia.  Gentiana,  for  instance,  is  such  a  drug, 
and  unquestionably  does  exert  a  tonic  influence  upon 
the  stomach.  But  this  virtue  is  probably  not  because 
it  is  bitter,  but  because  it  has  a  distinctive  medicinal 
force  wholly  independent  of  its  taste.  Certain  aromatic 
drugs  were  deemed  to  possess  anti-spasmodic  and  stim- 
ulant properties,  etc. 

Experimental  Pharmacology.  The  modern  method 
for  arriving  at  a  knowledge  of  drugs  is  by  experiment- 
ation on  animals,  chiefly  frogs,  rabbits,  dogs,  cats,  etc. 
But  this  method  is  objectionable  on  account  of  the 
difference  in  structure  and  physiology  of  these  animals 

*  "The  soul  does  not  perceive  the  external  or  internal  physical 
construction  of  herbs  and  roots,  but  it  intuitively  perceives  their 
powers  and  virtues  and  recognizes  at  once  their  signatum.  This 
signature  is  a  certain  organic  vital  activity  giving  each  natural  ob- 
ject (in  contra-distinction  to  artificially  made  objects)  a  certain 
similarity  with  a  certain  condition  produced  by  disease,  and  through 
which  health  may  be  restored  in  specific  diseases  in  the  diseased 
part.  This  signatum  is  often  expressed,  even  in  the  exterior  form 
of  things,  and  by  observing  that  form  we  may  learn  something  in 
regard  to  their  interior  qualities,  even  without  using  our  interior 
sight.  We  see  that  the  internal  character  of  a  man  is  often  ex- 
pressed in  his  exterior  appearance,  even  in  the  manner  of  his  walk- 
ing, and  in  the  sound  of  his  voice.  Likewise  the  hidden  character 
of  things  is  to  a  certain  extent  expressed  in  their  outward  forms. 
As  long  as  man  remained  in  a  natural  state,  he  recognized  the  sig- 
natures of  things  and  knew  their  true  character;  but  the  more  he 
diverged  from  the  path  of  nature  and  the  more  his  mind  became 
captivated  by  illusive  external  appearances,  the  more  this  power 
became  lost." — Paracehus. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  17 

and  the  vast  difference  in  their  susceptibility  to  the 
action  of  medicines.  Nux  is  most  poisonous  to  man, 
yet  pigs  can  eat  it  freely;  Aconite  is  fatal  to  man  in 
a  small  dose,  yet  dogs  and  horses  can  eat  it  with  im- 
punity. Birds  are  not  susceptible  to  the  action  of 
Opium  or  Atropin,  etc.  Again,  the  dynamic  effects  of 
drugs  differ  among  animals.  For  instance,  Ipecac  and 
Tartar  Emetic  are  emetics  to  men  and  dogs,  but  not  to 
rabbits.  Such  methods  of  arriving  at  the  crude  drug 
effects  may  be  sufficient  to  determine  the  so-called 
physiological  effects  of  drugs,  and  the  antipathic  use 
of  them  based  thereon,  but  is  wholly  inadequate  for 
purposes  of  Homoeopathy.  They  have  their  use,  also, 
in  determining  the  ultimate  organic  lesions  produced 
by  certain  drugs,  whenever  it  is  desirable  to  push  a 
proving  to  such  an  extent. 

Physiological  action  of  drugs.  Drugs  produce  in 
the  organism,  when  given  in  sufficiently  large  doses, 
certain  disturbances  or  alterations  of  function,  usually 
of  a  correspondingly  definite  character.  The  dosage 
required  for  this  purpose  is,  as  a  rule,  a  fixed  one  within 
certain  limits.  It  is  the  physiological  dose — that  is,  a 
dose  large  enough  to  produce  symptoms.  Opium  con- 
stipates the  bowels,  produces  insensibility.  For  these 
purposes  a  recognized,  fixed  quantity  is  necessary,  not 
less  than  one-half  to  one  grain.  This  constitutes  its 
physiological  dose.  Strychnia  increases  the  reflex 
excitability  of  the  spinal  cord,  in  doses  of  one-twelfth 
to  one-thirtieth  of  a  grain.  Digitalis  slows  the  heart 
in  ten  minim  doses. 

Now  this  direct,  absolute  action  of  drugs,  which  is 
constant,  can  be  made  the  basis  of  treatment  of  disease, 
wherever  this  is  possible.  Its  advantages  are  imme- 
diate results  and  improvement  of  certain  conditions 
opposed  to  this  direct  drug  action.  It  is,  therefore,  pal- 
2 


18  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

liative  where  indicated.  This  use  of  drugs  is  based 
upon  the  law  of  contraria  contrariis  opponenda,  when 
an  opposite  result  is  desired,  or  when  it  is  intended  to 
produce  not  an  opposite,  but  an  entirely  different 
action,  as,  for  instance,  a  purgative  in  a  case  of  head- 
ache. The  objections  to  this  direct  use  of  drug  effects, 
by  means  of  physiological  dosage,  are  the  limited  field 
to  which  such  action  is  applicable  and  the  necessity 
for  increasing  dosage,  and  sooner  or  later  opposite  re- 
actionary results  that  make  further  use  of  the  drug 
useless.  All  physicians  may  make  use  of  this  direct, 
physiological  action  of  certain  drugs  for  certain  condi- 
tions, but  its  usefulness  is  limited.  Hahnemann  him- 
self clearly  defines  it  as  follows: 

"  I  do  not  fail  to  recognize  the  great  ability  *bf  palli- 
atives. They  are  often  not  only  quite  sufficient  in 
cases  appearing  suddenly  and  developing  rapidly,  but 
they  have  great  advantages,  indeed,  where  aid  cannot 
be  postponed  for  an  hour,  or  even  a  minute.  Here,  and 
here  alone,  are  palliatives  of  real  use." 

This  use  of  drugs  for  their  direct  primary  effects  by 
means  of  a  dosage  sufficiently  large  and  within  certain 
limits,  always  definite  and  precise,  has  led  to  a  classi- 
fication of  drugs,  according  to  their  physiological  and 
some  ,of  their  therapeutic  actions,  and  not  differing 
materially  from  that  introduced  by  Dioscorides,  the 
father  of  Materia  Medica.  Since  his  time  drugs  have 
been  classified  into  three  principal  classes,  evacuants, 
alteratives  and  specifics.  The  evacuants  are  ag  an 
subdivided  with  respect  to  the  various  routes  by  which 
nature  expels  the  morbid  matters,  such  as  purgatives, 
expectorants  and  diaphoretics.  Alteratives  comprise 
drugs  which  alter  the  course  of  morbid  conditions, 
modifying  the  nutritive  processes  while  promoting 
waste,  and  thus  indirectly  curing  some  chronic  diseases; 


Principles  of  Homoeopath y.  19 

such  are  Mercury,  Iodine  and  Arsenic.  They  increase 
metabolism. 

Other  classes  are  the  antipyretics,  emmenagogues, 
styptics,  anthelmintics,  astringents,  etc.,  etc. 

While  such  classification  is  very  imperfect,  and  but 
a  partial  designation  of  the  properties  of  drugs,  for  every 
drug  may  belong  to  several  classes,  and  its  special  pro- 
perties in  any  class  are  at  best  vague  and  uncertain, 
still,  there  is  some  advantage  to  those  who  want  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  direct  drug  effects,  of  this  drug  classi- 
fication, based  on  some  of  their  more  marked  pathoge- 
netic and  therapeutic  effects.  But  it  is  entirely  useless 
for  homoeopathic  prescribing. 

The  homoeopathic  method  by  means  of  drug  ex- 
perimentation on  the  healthy,  so-called  drug  proving. 

This  is  the  only  scientific  and  rational  method  of  ascer- 
taining the  action  of  medicines.  All  other  methods 
have  proved  useless  and  misleading.  The  credit  of 
first  teaching  the  necessity  of  proving  drugs  upon  the 
healthy  belongs  to  Albrecht  von  Haller,  a  Swiss  physi- 
cian. As  early  as  1755,  in  his  Swiss  pharmacopoeia,  he 
distinctly  taught  this,  but  nothing  came  of  it.  It  was 
not  until  Samuel  Hahnemann,  in  1796,  practically 
went  to  work  and  actually  experimented  with  drugs  on 
himself  and  others  that  the  first  pure  effects  of  drugs 
became  known  and  could  be  rationally  employed  in 
practice.  Hahnemann  was  thus  the  founder  of  the 
science  of  drug  pathogenesy,  for  it  is  a  fact  that  up  to 
his  tinl^no  one  had  made  any  physiological  experiment 
with  any  drug;  it  is  a  fact  that  his  experiments  with 
Peruvian  Bark  were  the  first  ever  made  in  the  domain 
of  pharmacology,  and  are  a  model  to  this  day.  The 
science  of  drug  proving  dates  therefore  from  1796,  and 
is  the  beginning  of  a  rational  therapeutics.  With  the 
adoption  of  this  principle,  we  have  a  key  to  unlock  the 


20  A   COMPEND   OF  THE 

sphere  of  action  of  every  substance  in  nature,  so  far  as 
it  can  bear  any  relation  to  man's  constitution  in  health 
and  disease.  It  is  a  creative  principle,  universal  in  its 
application,  true  for  all  time.  The  introduction  of  it 
into  medicine  marks  an  epoch  in  the  development  of 
the  healing  art,  before  which  time  a  science  of  thera- 
peutics was  impossible. 

In  the  Organon,  §§  108-9,  Hahnemann  says: 
"  There  is,  therefore,  no  other  possible  way  in  which 
the  peculiar  effects  of  medicine  on  the  health  of  indi- 
viduals can  be  accurately  ascertained;  there  is  no  aure, 
no  more  natural  way  of  accomplishing  this  object  than 
to  administer  the  several  medicines  experimentally,  in 
moderate  doses,  to  healthy  persons,  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain what  changes,  symptoms  and  signs  of  their  influ- 
ence each  individual  produces  on  the  health  of  the 
body  and  of  the  mind;  that  is  to  say,  what  disease  ele- 
ments they  are  able  and  tend  to  produce,  since,  as  has 
been  demonstrated,  all  the  curative  power  of  medi- 
cines lies  in  the  power  they  possess  of  changing  the 
state  of  man's  health,  and  is  revealed  by  observation  of 
the  latter." 

Drug  Pathogenesy  is  the  record  of  testing  drugs  on 
the  human  body  in  varying  doses,  and  on  different 
individuals  of  both  sexes,  and  observing  all  the  symp- 
toms, subjective  and  objective,  from  the  minutest  dis- 
turbed function  and  mental  state  to  the  grossest  organic 
lesion.  "Simple  drugs,"  says  Hahnemann,  "produce  in 
the  healthy  body  symptoms  peculiar  to  themselves, 
but  not  all  at  once,  nor  in  one  and  the  same  series,  nor 
all  in  each  experimenter."  Such  a  method  of  arriving 
at  a  knowledge  of  drugs  is  universal  in  its  application ; 
it  includes  all  that  can  be  learned  from  toxicology  also. 

The  value  of  toxicology  as  illustrating  drug  action 

is   far   inferior,  however,  to   that  of  testing  them   in 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  21 

health  by  means  of  small  doses.  Still  it  gives  the  ulti- 
mate lesions  and  organic  changes,  and  in  this  way- 
interprets  many  symptoms  of  the  provings;  but  when- 
ever the  organism  is  violently  invaded  by  a  foreign 
destructive  agent,  no  matter  what  the  poison  is,  there 
is  usually  much  similarity  of  action,  resulting  from 
nature's  efforts  to  throw  it  off  by  all  possible  routes 
outward  from  the  body's  distinctive  vital  centers,  hence 
the  inevitable  nausea,  vomiting,  diarrhoea,  nerve  dis- 
turbances, convulsions,  paralysis,  etc.,  of  most  poison- 
ings. The  provings  with  small  doses  avoid  these  crude, 
extreme  effects,  and,  instead  of  producing  them,  rather 
indicate  them  by  the  milder  disturbances  produced. 

Different  Applications  of  Drug-action.  The  knowl- 
edge of  what  drugs  will  do  when  given  to  a  healthy 
subject  can  be  utilized  in  two  different  ways,  both  legit- 
imate, and  it  is  a  mere  matter  of  experience  and  obser- 
vation to  determine  which  is  the  better.  We  can  use  a 
drug  to  produce  its  physiological  effects.  If  this  is 
desired,  the  drug  must  be  given  in  a  dose  large  enough 
to  produce  symptoms — that  is,  in  a  so-called  physio- 
logical dose,  differing  with  each  drug  and  determined 
by  experiment.  This  is  the  antipathic  use  of  drugs, 
and  has  nothi7ig  to  do  with  Homoeopathy,  or  the  law  of 
cure.  It  is,  moreover,  very  limited  in  its  application, 
and  objectionable  on  many  grounds. 

The  other  method,  the  homoeopathic  relationship,  is 
universal  in  its  application,  and  is  not  confined  to  any 
special  dosage,  provided  such  always  is  sub-physiologi- 
cal— i.  e.,  less  than  is  required  to  produce  symptoms. 
Hence,  drugs  can  act  in  tivo  different  ways  when  given  in 
disease,  and  we  can  have,  therefore: 

1.  Homoeopathic  relationship — when  given  for  con- 
ditions similar  to  those  they  are  capable  of  producing. 
Applicable  to  all  drugs,  and  universal  in  its  extent. 


22  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

(2)  Antipathic  or  allopathic  relationship — when 
given  in  physiological  dosage  to  produce  their  first, 
direct  or  physiological  effects.  This  is,  as  we  have 
stated  before,  of  but  very  limited  application. 

The  only  difference  in  the  application  of  drugs  to 
disease  with  the  two  schools  of  medicine  is,  that  the 
old  school  gives  drugs  solely  to  obtain  their  direct, 
physiological  effects,  and  rather  favors  combination  of 
remedies,  while  the  homoeopathic  school  depends  en- 
tirely upon  the  curative  results  obtained  by  giving  the 
single  remedy  in  a  sub-physiological  dose  for  symp- 
toms similar  to  those  it  is  known  to  produce. 

For  reference  and  further  study,  see  Hahnemann's  Essay  on  a 
New  Principle  for  Ascertaining  the  Curative  Powers  of  Drugs  in 
his  Lesser  Writings,  page  249. 

Hahnemann's  Essay  on  the  Sources  of  the  Common  Materia 
Medica,  being  Preface  to  Vol.  II  of  the  Materia  Medica  Pura. 

The  Physiological  Action  of  Medicines,  by  Wm.  Sharp,  in  Es- 
says on  Medicine,  page  417. 

General  Principles  of  Drug  Action,  by  K.  Hughes,  in  Pharma- 
codynamics; lecture  IV-V. 

An  interesting  account  and  practical  application  of  the  Doctrine 
of  Signatures  can  be  found  in  Grauvogl's  Textbook,  $  91-95. 

Samuel  A   Jones,  M.D.:      "The  Grounds  of  a  Homoeopath's 
Faith."     An  inspiring  little  work. 

Dudgeon.     "Lectures  on  Homoeopathy."    Lect.  VI,  Isopathy. 


Pkinciples  of  Homceopathy.  23 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  EVOLUTION  OF  THE  HOMCEOPATHIC 
MATERIA  MEDICA. 

The  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica  is  a  record  of 
the  effects  of  drugs  upon  the  healthy  human  organism, 
embodying  a  knowledge  of  what  drugs  actually  do 
when  brought  in  contact  with  the  functional  activity 
of  the  body.     The  sources  of  this  knowledge  are, 

1.  The  systematic  provings. 

2.  Observations  of  cases  of  poisoning  and  over-dos- 
ings,  which  Hahnemann  and  his  disciples  have  gath- 
ered from  general  medical  literature. 

The  First  Book  on  Drug  Effects.  The  first  work 
embodying  such  record  is  that  of  Hahnemann,  entitled 
Fragmenta  de  ViriMis  Medicamentorum  Positivis.  It 
is  a  Latin  work,  and  published  in  Leipsic  in  1805. 
Twenty-seven  drugs  are  treated  of,  containing  symp- 
toms Hahnemann  himself  had  observed  as  effects  of 
poisoning  or  from  excessive  dosing,  and  of  provings  on 
himself.*  ''I  have  instituted  experiments,"  he  says  in 
the  preface,  '^  in  chief  part  on  my  own  person,  but  also 
on  some  others  whom  I  knew  to  be  perfectly  healthy 
and  free  from  all  perceptible  disease." 

"In  those  experiments  which  have  been  made  by 
myself  and  my  disciples,  every  care  has  been  taken  to 

*  It  is  interesting  to  know  the  names  of  the  pioneer  medicines 
whose  pathogenic  effects  were  first  published  in  this  work  of  Hah- 
nemann. They  are  Aconitum,  Arnica,  Belladonna,  Camphora, 
Cantharis,  Capsicum,  Causticum,  Chamomilla,  Cinchona,  Coccu- 
lus,  Copaiva,  Cuprum,  Digitalis,  Drosera,  Helleborus,  Hyoscy- 
amus,  Ignatia,  Ipecacuanha,  Ledum,  Mezereum,  Nux  vomica, 
Opium,  Pulsatilla,  Rheum,  Stramonium,  Valeriana,  Veratrum 
album.  Of  these,  Cantharis,  Copaiva,  and  Valeriana,  Hahnemann 
did  not  include  in  his  subsequently  published  "Materia  Medica." 


24  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

secure  the  true  and  full  action  of  the  medicines.  Our 
provings  have  been  made  upon  persons  in  perfect 
health,  and  living  in  contentment  and  comparative 
ease.  When  an  extraordinary  circumstance  of  any 
kind — fright,  chagrin,  external  injuries,  the  excessive 
enjoyment  of  any  one  pleasure,  or  some  event  of  great 
importance — supervened  during  the  proving,  then  no 
other  symptom  has  been  recorded  after  such  an  event, 
in  order  to  prevent  spurious  symptoms  being  noted  as 
genuine.  When  such  circumstances  were  of  slight 
importance,  and  could  hardly  be  supposed  to  interfere 
with  the  action  of  the  medicine,  the  symptoms  have 
been  placed  in  brackets,  for  the  purpose  of  informing 
the  reader  that  they  could  not  be  considered  decisively 
genuine." 

Hahnemann's  Materia  Medica  Pura. 

Five  years  now  elapsed  before  Hahnemann  pub- 
lished anything  more  in  the  line  of  drug  pathogenesy. 
They  must  have  been  five  years  of  intense  labor  and 
experiment.  Then  appeared  the  first  volume  of  that 
great  classical  work,  the  "  Materia  Medica  Pura,"  con- 
taining the  symptomatology  of  twelve  medicines,  six 
of  which  had  already  appeared  in  the  Latin  treatise 
published  before. 

Five  years  later  appeared  the  second  volume,  con- 
taining the  symptomatology  of  eight  medicines,  which 
was  soon  succeeded  by  the  four  other  volumes,  contain- 
ing in  all  the  pathogenic  effects  of  sixty-one  drugs. 
It  is  a  monumental  work,  the  result  of  Hahnemann's 
matchless  penetration,  wonderful  insight  and  accurate 
observation,  of  which  he  was  a  master.  He  was  most 
ably  assisted  in  this  work  by  thirty-five  fellow-provers, 
among  whom  the  names  of  Franz,  Gross,  Hartmann, 
Herrmann,  Hornburg,  Riickert,  Stapf,  and  Friedrich 
Hahnemann  are  the  most  conspicuous  and  deserve  to 
be  remembered  by  all  students  of  Materia  Medica. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  25 

In  1822  appeared  a  second  edition  of  this  great  work, 
with  considerable  additions  to  the  symptomatology  of 
all  the  remedies  and  some  new  medicines  besides.  A 
third  and  fourth  edition  were  published  after  some  years. 

Publication  of  the  "Chronic  Diseases." 

In  1828  Hahnemann  published  his  ''Chronic  Dis- 
eases," containing  the  symptomatology  of  a  com- 
pletely new  series  of  medicines,  a  series  of  deeply- 
acting  drugs,  like  Calcarea,  Sulphur,  etc.,  the  so-called 
Anti-psoric  remedies.  The  symptomatology  of  these 
remedies  was  not  wholly  pathogenetic,  but  included 
observations  at  the  bedside,  so-called  clinical  symp- 
toms. 

A  second  edition,  greatly  enlarged  and  now  con- 
taining the  symptomatology  of  twenty-five  remedies, 
besides  the  twenty-two  of  the  first  edition,  appeared 
between  1835  and  1839.  A  peculiar  feature  of  the 
provings  in  this  work  is  that  the  bulk  of  them  must 
have  been  obtained  with  the  thirtieth  potency,  and 
often  are  observations  when  given  to  the  sick,  differing 
entirely,  therefoi-e,  from  the  pathogenetic  effects  of  the 
Materia  Medica  Pura.  A  new  English  translation  of 
this  great  work  has  just  appeared  in  this  country. 

Besides  Hahnemann  and  his  immediate  disciples, 
Constantine  Hering,  of  Philadelphia,  contributed  the 
best  provings  to  the  homoeopathic  Materia  Medica, 
some  of  his  drugs  ranking  in  importance  with  Hahne- 
mann's own.  Of  these,  Lachesis,  Glonoine  and  Apis 
take  first  rank. 

Another  large  contributor  to  the  Materia  Medica  was 
Dr.  E.  M.  Hale,  not  so  much  by  proving  as  by  intro- 
ducing American  remedies  that  had  been  in  use  by 
botanic  physicians,  and  gathering  all  that  was  known 
as  to  the  therapeutic  properties  in  one  volume,  called 
"New  Remedies."     We  have,  then,  as 


26  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

Sources  of  the  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica. 

1.  Hahnemann's  Materia  Medica  Pura,  published 
in  1811,  containing  the  pathogenesis  of  the  great  poly- 
chrests — i.  e.,  remedies  of  many  uses  and  wide  and  fre- 
quent application. 

2.  Hahnemann's  Chronic  Diseases,  published  in 
1828,  containing  the  so-called  Antipsoric  remedies, 
those  especially  adapted  to  the  cure  of  chronic  diseases. 

3.  Dr.  Jorg's  Provings — a  professor  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Leipsic  and  contemporary  of  Hahnemann,  but 
not  one  of  his  followers.  He  proved,  among  others. 
Camphor,  Digitalis,  Opium,  Arnica,  Hydrocy.  acid, 
Ignatia.  Some  of  his  symptoms  are  quoted  and  in- 
cluded by  Hahnemann  in  the  second  edition  of  his 
works. 

4.  Dr.  Hering  and  the  American  Provers'  Union. 

5.  Dr.  E.  M.  Hale's  contributions  in  his  "  New 
Remedies." 

6.  Various  provings  and  reprovings  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy,  vari- 
ous State  societies  and  individual  provings  published 
in  our  journalistic  literature.  Also,  Hartlaub  and 
Trink's  pathogeneses,  Stapf's  additions,  provings  by 
the  Austrian  Society,  etc.,  etc. 

These  records  are  at  present  collected  in  three  great 
works: 

1.  "Allen's  Enclycopaedia,"  in  ten  volumes. 

2.  ''Cyclopaedia  of  Drug  Pathogenesy,"  in  four  vol- 
umes. 

These  two  works  contain  the  symptoms  obtained  by 
provings,  and  from  records  of  poisoning,  i.  e.,  patho- 
genetic symptoms. 

3.  "Hering's  Guiding  Symptoms,"  in  ten  volumes, 
which  also  contains  clinical  or  curative  symptoms — i.  e.j 
observed  on  the  sick. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  27 

The  comparative  value  of  the  three  sources  of 
symptoms,  from  records  of  toxicology,  provings  on 
healthy  and  observation  on  sick. 

1.  Toxicology.  Violent  cases  of  poisoning  never  yield 
a  profitable  symptomatology,  on  account  of  the  violent 
invasion  by  foreign  destructive  agents.  The  organism 
throws  it  off  by  all  routes  outward  and  away  from  its 
distinctive  life,  hence  vomiting,  diarrhoea,  convulsions, 
etc.,  common  to  all  kinds  of  poisoning.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  records  of  poisoning  give  us  the  ultimate 
action,  the  tissue  and  organic  changes  that  the  prov- 
ings can  only  indicate,  and  thus  they  illustrate  and 
interpret  the  provings. 

2.  Provings  on  the  healthy.  The  provings  with  com- 
paratively small  doses  avoid  these  violent,  crude  and 
extreme  effects,  and  instead  of  producing  them,  rather 
indicate  them  by  mild  disturbances.  We  thus  obtain 
the  finer  and  more  characteristic  action,  and  thus  a 
much  more  utilizable  picture  of  drug  effects.  Fortu- 
nately, the  bulk  of  the  homoeopathic  Materia  Medica  is 
made  up  from  this  source.  The  symptoms  obtained 
from  toxicological  observations  and  from  provings  are 
also  called  pathogenetic  symptoms^  and  the  full  record, 
in  the  order  of  their  development,  is  called  the  drug's 
pathogenesis.  The  "Cyclopaedia  of  Drug  Pathogenesy" 
gives  these  in  their  fullest  and  most  accurate  form. 

3.  Drug  effects  observed  in  the  sick.  In  the  evolution 
of  the  homoeopathic  Materia  Medica,  another  class  of 
symptoms  not  bearing  the  aristocracy  of  origin,  charac- 
terizing pathogenetic  symptoms,  were  introduced,  so- 
called  clinical  or  curative  symptoms.  This  source  was 
almost  unavoidable,  so  long  as  drug  provings  on  the 
healthy  were  limited  in  number  and  extent.  The 
symptomatology  of  most  of  the  great  constitutional  or 
anti-psoric  remedies  consists,  in  large  part,  of  such  clin- 


28  A   COMPEND   OF  THE 

ical  symptoms.  They  are  such  symptoms  as  disappear 
after  administering  a  remedy,  and  which  are  not  found 
among  the  pathogenetic  effects,  so  far  as  the  provings 
have  been  made;  but,  wherever  genuine,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  they  are  possible  pathogenetic  symptoms, 
could  we  have  full  and  accurate  provings.  In  this  way 
the  homoeopathic  Materia  Medica  has  been  enlarged, 
not  always  wisely,  however;  for,  in  order  to  discover 
them  amidst  the  symptoms  of  the  disease  in  a  patient, 
much  discrimination  and  training  are  required. 
Hahnemann  rightly  says  that  this  is  a  "  subject  for  the 
exercise  of  a  higher  order  of  inductive  minds,  and  must 
be  left  solely  to  masters  in  the  art  of  observation." 
But,  when  found,  they  must  be  used  tentatively  and 
cautiously  until  verified  in  practice.  Only  then  can 
they  be  admitted  by  the  side  of  the  true  pathogenetic 
symptoms  and  form  a  legitimate  addition  to  the  Mate- 
ria Medica.  Some  of  the  greatest  characteristics  and 
guiding  symptoms  belong  to  this  class.  These  clinical 
symptoms  have  been  excluded  from  the  "Encyclopaedia 
of  Materia  Medica"  by  T.  F.  Allen,  and,  of  course,  can- 
not have  any  place  in  the  "Cyclopaedia  of  Drug  Patho- 
genesy";  but  they  are  included  in  full  in  Hering's 
"  Guiding  Symptoms  "  and  in  all  manuals  and  text- 
books of  Materia  Medica.  In  some  of  these  they  are 
designated  by  a  distinguishing  mark,  usually  O,  but 
in  most  of  the  later  works  even  this  caution  is  disre- 
garded. 

The  Hahnemannian  Schema.  In  order  to  bring 
this  vast  symptomatology  within  the  ready  reference 
of  the  busy  practitioner,  Hahnemann,  himself  a  physi- 
cian of  large  and  extensive  practice,  and,  hence,  in 
need  of  labor-saving  devices,  re-arranged  it  in  anatom- 
ical order,  which  has  been  found  so  practical  for  every- 
day use,  that  it  has  been  universally  adopted  by  all 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  29 

our  authors  on  Materia  Medica.  He  begins  with  the 
head  and  first  records  all  the  symptoms  of  the  mind, 
sensorium,  etc.;  then  those  of  the  eyes,  nose,  face,  etc., 
downwards,  placing  together  all  the  symptoms  relating 
to  each  section.  In  this  way  the  original  provings 
were  dissected,  destroying  the  order  of  development  of 
the  symptoms,  but  greatly  facilitating  ready  reference. 

The  Repertory  or  Index  of  Symptoms.  This  is 
another  aid  that  has  been  found  necessary  to  facilitate 
the  selection  of  the  indicated  remedy.  It  is  a  useful 
appendage  to  the  homoeopathic  Materia  Medica,  by 
means^  of  which  we  can  readily  discover  almost  any 
recorded  symptom  of  any  proven  drug.  The  secret  of 
successful  use  of  the  "  Repertory  "  is  to  get  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  any  one  of  the  different  repertories  by 
constant  reference  to  it,  thus  familiarizing  oneself  with 
its  peculiar  arrangement.  The  most  helpful  of  them 
all,  but  the  one  requiring,  also,  most  patient  study,  is 
Boeninghausen's  "  Therapeutic  Pocket  Book."  Its 
arrangement  is  based  on  a  practical  analysis  of  symp- 
toms into  their  component  elements  of  location,  sensa- 
tion and  conditions.     (See  Chapter  V.) 

How  to  learn  Drug  Pathogenesy  and  acquire  a 
working  knowledge  of  the  homoeopathic  Materia  Medica 
has  occupied  the  students  of  Homoeopathy  from  the 
beginning  of  the  school.  Unquestionably,  the  proving 
of  a  drug  is  the  truly  natural  and  most  effective  method 
of  getting  a  knowledge  of  its  action,  and  every  physi- 
cian and  student  should  undertake  such  practical  study 
as  at  least  part  of  his  study  of  materia  medica.  It  is 
the  true,  modern,  scientific  method  by  appeal  to  nature 
herself.  In  the  absence  of  this,  and  as  a  further  aid, 
the  study  of  original  provings,  and  of  records  of  poison- 
ings, will  go  far  to  give  a  good  general  outline  of  the 
action  of  a  drug.     This  should  be  followed  by  the  care- 


30  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

ful  and  repeated  reading  of  the  recorded  symptoma- 
tology, noting  the  parts  especially  involved,  character 
of  the  symptoms,  the  conditions  under  which  they 
occur,  and  the  concomitants  connected  with  each  symp- 
tom. In  this  way  the  peculiar  and  characteristic 
symptoms  and  conditions  will  appear,  which  will  be 
the  guiding  symptoms  in  practice.  These  characteris- 
tics, so-called  key-notes,  of  the  different  remedies,  must 
be  committed  to  memory,  they  form  the  stock  in  trade 
of  the  homoeopathic  prescriber,  and  will  lead  to  the 
further  and  more  detailed  and  comparative  study  of 
the  remedies. 

For  further  study,  consult  Hughes,  "Sources  of  the  Homoe- 
opathic Materia  Medica,"  in  his  work  ou  Pharmacodynamics;  also 
published  separately  by  Leath  &  Ross,  London. 

Dr.  John  W.  Hayward:  "How  to  Learn  Drug  Pathogenesy, " 
with  discussion,  in  the  Journal  of  the  British  Homeopathic  Society, 
January,  1895. 

The  following  classical  papers  should  also  be  consulted: 

Constantine  Hering:  "How  the  Materia  Medica  should  be 
Learnt,"  in  British  Journal  of  Homoeopathy,  Vol.  II. 

Dr.  Meyer,  one  of  Hahnemann's  immediate  disciples,  on  the 
same  subject,  in  North  American  Journal  of  Homceopathy,  Vol.  II. 

Dr.  Pope,  in  Monthly  Homceopathic  Review,  VIII,  and  Vol.  XXV. 

Dr.  H.  R.  Madden,  in  same  journal,  Vol.  XIV. 

Dr.  R,  Hughes,  in  same  journal.  Vol.  XXIII,  and  in  Hahne- 
mannian  Monthly,  Vol.  XXIX. 

Dr.  C.  Wesselhoeft  in  JV.  E.  Medical  Gazette,  Vol.  XXII. 

Dr.  Joseph  C.  Guernsey,  in  Hahnemannian  Monthly,  Vol.  XXIX. 

American  Institute  Report  for  1894,  Materia  Medica  Section; 
opinions  of  thirty-one  members.     Edited  by  Dr.  Frank  Kraft. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  31 


CHAPTER  IV. 
DRUG  PROVING. 

The  proving  of  medicines  is  a  distinctive  feature 
of  Homoeopathy  and  a  logical  necessity  for  applying 
the  law  of  cure;  for,  in  order  to  meet  morbid  states 
with  drugs  corresponding  to  them,  we  must  know,  and 
therefore  ascertain,  what  morbid  states  the  different 
medicinal  substances  produce.  It  consists  in  the  sys- 
tematic testing  of  a  drug  on  the  healthy  human  body, 
in  order  to  ascertain  the  changes  which  it  is  capable  of 
producing  in  the  functions  and  organs. 

Hahnemann,  after  viewing  the  subject  in  every  pos- 
sible light,  and  examining  every  method  for  ascertain- 
ing the  action  of  drugs,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
only  efficient  way  was  "  to  test  the  medicines  singly 
and  alone  on  the  healthy  human  body." 

General  Rules  for  Drug  Proving.  The  medicinal 
substance  which  is  to  be  proved  must  be  tested  singly, 
without  any  admixture  of  any  foreign  substance,  except 
an  inert  vehicle  when  necessary  for  its  administration. 
Nothing  of  a  medicinal  nature  should  be  taken  so  long 
as  it  is  desired  to  observe  the  effects  of  the  proving. 

Each  drug  should  be  proved,  not  only  in  its  crude 
form  and  lower  material  dosage,  but  with  higher  atten- 
uations as  well.  When  the  latter  are  used  and  symp- 
toms obtained,  a  special  susceptibility  on  the  part  of  the 
prover  probably  exists  and  some  of  the  most  important 
characteristics  may  be  elicited  from  him.  Only  actu- 
ally observed  facts  should  be  recorded,  free  from  all 
theories  of  drug  action.  Such  purely  positive  observa- 
tion is  for  all  time,  and  possesses  the  same  value  after 
the  lapse  of  centuries  as  it  does  at  the  time  when  first 


32  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

observed.  If  any  deductions  be  drawn  from  the  ob- 
served facts,  they  should  not  be  incorporated  into  the 
text,  but  kept  separate  and  distinct.  For  this  reason, 
Hahnemann  called  his  Materia  Medica  'Tura"  (pure), 
because  free  from  all  theories,  only  a  record  of  observed 
facts.  Hence,  in  making  a  proving,  great  precaution, 
control  experiment,  accuracy,  close  observation,  and 
the  strictest  conscientiousness  are  essential. 

Directions  for  provers.  The  prover  should  not  de- 
part in  any  material  way  from  any  of  his  ordinary 
habits  of  life,  because  his  life  is  based  on  these  habits 
and  conformed  to  them,  and  any  marked  change  in 
these  must  result  in  changes  more  or  less  important, 
which  might  be  put  to  the  account  of  the  drug;  hence, 
his  food,  drink,  sleep,  exercise,  and  habits  generally 
must  be  such  as  he  has  been  accustomed  to.  He 
should  observe  himself  before  beginning  a  proving,  as 
every  one  is  liable,  even  in  the  best  state  of  health,  to 
slight  variations  in  his  sensations  and  functions.  Hav- 
ing thus  discovered  what  symptoms  he  is  liable  to  nat- 
urally and  without  any  drug  influence,  he  must  avoid 
attributing  these  to  the  drug  to  be  proven,  unless,  in- 
deed, they  are  more  pronounced  than  ever. 

Dosage  required  for  proving.  As  a  general  rule, 
begin  with  a  comparatively  small  dose  and  increase 
it  gradually  till  distinct  symptoms  make  their  appear- 
ance. The  most  useful  doses  are  those  that  are  just 
sufficient  to  produce  distinct  symptoms. 

Female  provers.  It  is  very  important  to  test  all 
drugs  in  regard  to  their  effects  on  the  female  organism, 
hence  women,  married  and  unmarried,  should  contrib- 
ute to  provings.  '' Before  beginning  the  record  of  a 
proving,  she  should  inscribe  in  the  note-book  a  state- 
ment of   her  age,  temperament,  the  sicknesses  which 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  33 

she  has  had,  and  those  to  which  she  has  an  inherited 
or  acquired  tendency;  also,  whatever  pains  or  sensa- 
tions she  may  be  habitually  subject  to;  also,  any  pecu- 
liar susceptibilities  she  may  possess  to  external  influ- 
ences of  any  kind,  or  to  mental,  or  moral,  or  emotional 
excitements,  depressions  or  perversions.  Her  constitu- 
tional peculiarities,  respecting  the  menstrual  function, 
should  be  carefully  recorded;  regarding  frequency, 
quantity,  character,  and  whatever  inconveniences  or 
sufferings  precede,  accompany  or  follow  menstruation, 
such  as  headache,  backache,  colic,  leucorrhoea,  etc., 
with  peculiar  states  of  mind  or  emotion."  * 

Repetition  of  doses.  No  special  rule  can  be  given, 
but  it  has  been  the  custom  of  most  provers  to  repeat 
the  dose  every  few  hours  until  symptoms  show  them- 
selves. It  is  best  to  give  a  single,  rather  large,  dose 
and  watch  its  effects.  This  plan  is  chiefly  useful  with 
some  vegetable  medicines,  whose  sphere  of  action  is 
small,  and  of  which  the  first  dose  sometimes  exhausts, 
for  a  time,  the  susceptibility  of  the  system  to  the  action 
of  the  substance.  The  continuous  repetition  of  the 
dose  is  applicable,  if  we  want  to  ascertain  the  special 
action  of  a  drug  on  some  organ  or  function  by  con- 
tinued dosing. 

Age  and  sex  are  modifying  factors  in  drug  proving, 
and  all  drugs  should  be  tried  on  individuals  of  both 
sexes  and  different  ages.  Some  drugs  possess  marked 
affinity  for  one  sex,  as  Crocus  and  Platina  for  the 
female,  and  Nux  preferably  the  male. 

Temperament.  Different  temperaments  should  be 
chosen,  for  certain  medicines  are  especially  adapted  to 
certain  temperaments,  and  here  find  the  most  favor- 
able environment  for  developing  their  specific  effects. 

■*  Dunham, 
3 


S4  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

Re-pro vings.  The  provings  should  be  repeated  in 
different  individuals  and  in  the  same  prover.  In  order 
to  avoid  the  admission  of  accidental  symptoms,  it  is  a 
safe  rule,  although  not  absolute,  not  to  adopt  any 
symptoms  unless  it  has  been  found  in  several  provers. 
By  comparing  one  proving  with  another,  and  ascer- 
taining the  constancy  with  which  the  different  symp- 
toms appear,  the  characteristic  symptoms  are  made 
manifest.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  all  individuals 
are  not  alike  susceptible  to  all  the  effects  which  a  drug 
is  capable  of  producing;  therefore,  the  need  of  a  large 
number  of  experiments  is  apparent,  in  order  to  obtain 
a  complete  view  of  the  action  of  a  drug. 

Heriiig's  Rules  for  Provers. 

(1)  Make  a  first  experimental  test  with  a  single, 
moderate-sized  dose. 

(2)  If  no  symptoms  are  produced,  take  it  every 
two  or  three  hours,  or  change  the  time  of  the  day  for 
taking  it. 

(3)  If  still  no  symptoms,  try  higher  potencies,  to 
which  might  be  added  this  rational,  additional  rule:  if 
still  no  symptoms  appear,  go  lower  in  the  scale  of  at- 
tenuations and  give  material  doses,  increasing  size  until 
symptoms  appear. 

In  the  nature  of  things,  some  of  the  symptoms  take 
time  to  develop,  therefore  the  first  experiments  with 
small  doses  should  not  be  hurried.  The  prover  should 
learn  to  wait,  for  some  of  the  late  appearing  symptoms 
are  frequently  the  most  characteristic. 

How  to  Describe  Symptoms  Obtained  from  a  Prov- 
ing. The  greatest  minuteness  and  accuracy  should  be 
observed.  A  sensation  should  be  described  by  some 
familiar  comparison.  State  how  the  symptom  is  ef- 
fected by  different  circumstances,  i.  e.,  the  drug's  mo- 
dalities, as  position  of  body,  motion,  rest,  eating,  fast- 


Pkinciples  of  Homceopathy.  35 

ing,  day,  night,  indoors,  open  air,  weather,  etc.  No 
circumstance,  however  trifling,  should  be  omitted  which 
may  in  any  way  tend  to  indicate  the  characteristic  ac- 
tion of  the  drug  and  so  precisionize  it.  All  such  con- 
ditions of  aggravation  and  amelioration  should  be  care- 
fully recorded  as  they  express  the  drug's  individuality 
most  clearly  and  universally. 

The  sides  of  the  body  on  which  symptoms  occur 
should  always  be  stated,  many  remedies  acting  more 
markedly  on  one  side  than  another. 

The  times  of  occurence,  aggravation  or  amelioration, 
are  also  very  important,  some  remedies  having  distinct- 
ive morning  aggravation  of  some  or  all  of  their  symp- 
toms, others  at  night,  etc.  As  an  illustration  of  a  per- 
fect description  of  a  symptom,  take  the  following  of 
Hahnemann's  proving  of  Nux:  "  Headache  beginning 
some  hours  before  dinner,  increased  after  eating,  then 
violent  shooting  pain  in  left  temple,  with  nausea  and 
very  acid  vomiting,  all  of  which  symptoms  disappeared 
on  lying  down." 

The  three  essential  features  of  every  complete 
symptom  are,  therefore, 

(1)  Location. 

(2)  Sensation. 

(3)  Condition  of  aggravation  or  amelioration  (mo- 
dality), which  is  the  most  important,  and  it  ought  to  be 
the  aim  of  all  provers  to  observe  symptoms  with  these 
features  well  in  mind. 

Never  separate  symptoms  that  appear  in  groups  or 
with  marked  concomitants.  Hahnemann  always  left 
together  symptoms  appearing  in  groups,  if  he  consid- 
ered them  really  connected;  for  instance,  he  observed, 
forty-five  minutes  after  taking  Pulsatilla,  a  cramp  in 
the  legs,  in  the  evening,  after  lying  down,  with  a  chill; 
and  at  another  time,  in  the  evening,  an  aching,  draw- 


36  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

ing  pain  in  the  legs  up  into  the  knee,  with  more  chilli- 
ness than  during  the  day. 

Primary  and  Secondary  Drug  Effects.    It  is  a  law 

of  drug  action,  according  to  which  the  administration 
of  each  medicine  causes,  at  first,  certain  abnormal 
symptoms,  the  so-called  primary  effects  of  medicines, 
but  afterwards,  by  reaction  of  the  organism,  a  condition 
entirely  the  opposite,  where  this  is  possible,  of  this  first 
effect  is  produced — the  secondary  effects,  for  instance, 
narcotic  substances  produce  primarily  insensibility  and 
secondarily  pain.  In  order  to  produce  the  primary 
effects,  material  doses  are  required. 

In  his  essay,  entitled  "Suggestions  for  Ascertaining 
the  Curative  Powers  of  Drugs,"  Hahnemann  says: 
''Most  medicines  have  more  than  one  action;  the  first 
a  direct  action,  which  gradually  changes  into  the  second 
(which  I  call  the  indirectly  secondary  action).  The 
latter  is  generally  a  state  exactly  the  opposite  of  the 
former.  In  this  way  most  vegetable  drugs  act.  But 
few  medicines  are  exceptions  to  this  rule,  i.  e.,  metals 
and  minerals.  The  thorough  examination  of  drug 
provings,  as  in  our  possession  at  present,  does  not 
justify  any  division  of  drug-symptoms  into  primary 
and  secondary.  There  are  indeed  in  every  proving,  as 
Dr.  Hering  has  shown,  primary  and  secondary  symp- 
toms, in  the  sense  that  some  symptoms  appear  earlier  and 
others  later  in  the  course  of  the  proving,  but  although 
these  may  appear  opposed  to  each  other,  they  are  all 
to  be  regarded  as  drug  symptoms,  and,  as  such,  indi- 
cate the  remedy. 

Hahnemann's  method  of  conducting  provings.    Dr. 

Hering  thus  describes  it:  "After  he  had  lectured  to 
his  fellow-workers  on  the  rules  of  proving,  he  handed 
them  the  bottles  with  the  tincture;  and  when  they 
afterwards  brought  him  their  day  books,  he  examined 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  37 

every  prover  carefully  about  every  particular  symp- 
tom, continually  calling  attention  to  the  necessary 
accuracy  in  expressing  the  kind  of  feeling,  the  pain 
or  the  locality,  the  observation  and  mentioning  of 
everything  that  influenced  their  feelings,  the  time  of 
day,  etc.  When  handing  their  papers  to  him,  after 
they  had  been  cross-examined,  they  had  to  affirm  that 
it  was  the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  to  the  best 
of  their  knowledge,  by  offering  their  hands  to  him — 
the  customary  pledge  at  the  universities  of  Germany, 
instead  of  an  oath.  This  was  the  way  in  which  our 
master  built  up  his  Materia  Medica." 

For  fuller  study  see  Organon,  $  105  to  145. 

Dudgeon,  Lectures  on  Homoeopathy,  page  176.  Lecture  VII 
and  VIII. 

Sharp's  Tracts  on  Homoeopathy,  Essay  VII.  Provingsin  Health. 

Dunham,  Science  of  Therapeutics:  The  Dose  in  Drug  Proving, 
page  136.     Directions  for  Drug  Pro  vers,  page  350, 


A   COMPEND   OF   THE 


CHAPTER  V. 

INTERPRETATION   OF  DRUG 
PATHOGENESIS. 

The  homcBopathic  Materia  Medica,  as  it  is  accessible 
at  present  to  students,  is  a  mass  of  symptomatology, 
arranged,  as  a  rule,  according  to  the  Hahnemannian 
Schema.  The  "  Cyclopaedia  of  Drug  Pathogenesy  "  is 
the  exception,  which  endeavors  to  give  the  symptoms 
in  the  order  of  their  development;  but,  in  order  to 
practically  utilize  the  provings,  the  anatomical  ar- 
rangement of  the  symptomatology  is  desirable.  Besides 
this  arrangement,  the  bulk  of  the  symptomatology  can 
be  analyzed  and  interpreted  helpfully,  and  thus  simpli- 
fied. All  provings  of  drugs  give  a  symptomatology 
composed 

(1)  Of  general  symptoms. 

(2)  Of  peculiar  or  characteristic  symptoms. 

(3)  Of  certain  elective  affinities  to  special  organs  or 
functions. 

General  symptoms  of  drugs.  These  are  common  to 
all  drugs  and  appear  in  every  proving.  They  can 
practically  be  eliminated.  Such  are  symptoms  like 
feeling  of  malaise,  loss  of  appetite,  weakness,  distress, 
headache,  etc.  Such  general  symptoms,  unless  ampli- 
fied by  accompanying  conditions  or  modalities^  are  of  com- 
paratively little  value  for  the  prescriber,  because  their 
presence  does  not  point  clearly  to  any  one  particular 
drug.  We  must  find  in  our  symptomatology,  and  make 
use  of  such  symptoms  as  serve  to  individualize  and 
give  character  to  a  drug,  and  hence  these  are  called 

Characteristic  Symptoms.  Each  drug  is  an  entity, 
and  can  express  its  disease  producing  properties,  i.  e., 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  39 

pathogenetic  force,  in  a  way  peculiar  to  itself.  Those 
symptoms  that  do  this  most  perfectly  are  the  drug's 
characteristic  symptoms.  The  ideal  characteristic 
symptom  is  one  which  is  possessed  by  no  other  than 
the  individual  drug  of  which  it  is  predicated  and  to 
which  it  gives  character  as  an  individual.  We  learn 
to  distinguish  drugs  very  much  as  we  learn  to  distin- 
guish men,  not  by  their  general  features,  which  are  com- 
mon to  all,  but  rather  by  the  peculiar  expression  and 
shape  and  habits  by  which  we  recognize  the  individual. 
It  may  be  a  small  and  insignificant  thing  and  yet  one 
that  is  most  expressive  of  the  person's  individuality. 
So  in  drugs  it  is  not  the  general  effect  upon  the  stom- 
ach or  bowels  or  the  general  debility  produced  that 
serve  to  characterize  it  as  the  remedy,  but  rather  the 
peculiar,  characteristic  uncommon,  prominent  symp- 
toms. 

These  have  also  been  designated  as  keynote  *  symp- 
toms, by  Dr.  Guernsey,  and  as  guiding  symptoms,  by  Dr. 
Hering. 

From  a  physiological  point  of  view  they  may  appear 
trivial  and  unimportant,  but  for  purposes  of  prescrib- 
ing they  are  paramount  in  importance.  These  charac- 
teristic symptoms  of  drugs  may  be  found  in  one  of 
three  divisions  of  its  pathogenesis.     Either 

*  "  While  the  keynotes,  according  to  Dr.  Guernsey,  will,  in  each 
instance,  form  an  unfailing  guide,  the  requisite  conditions  and 
corresponding  totality  of  the  symptoms  in  such  cases  being  inevit- 
ably present.  If  this  doctrine  is  true — and  in  practice  it  has  been 
confirmed  by  much  experience — it  is  so  because  these  so-called  key- 
notes essentially  represent  a  profound  dyscrasia  of  the  organic  ner- 
vous system.',  either  in  such  sensations  of  pain  as  precede  even  the 
first  functional  derangements,  and  are  intended  as  premonitory  ad- 
monitions; or  in  such  sensations  as  arise  in  connection  with,  and 
in  conseqTience  of,  the  initial  disorder  in  these  most  interior  organs 
of  vegetative  life. " — J.  H.  P.  Frost  in  Hahnemannian  Monthly,  Vol. 
II,  page  443. 


40  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

1.  In  the  locality  or  tissue  or  organ  affected. 

2.  In  the  sensations. 

3.  In  the  modalities  and  concomitants. 

These  are  the  three  grand  divisions  around  which  the 
symptomatology  of  drugs  can  be  grouped,  or  into  which 
they  can  be  divided  for  practical  study. 

Locality  or  seat  of  action.  Every  drug  affects  some 
organ  or  system  of  organs  or  tissue  or  region  more  de- 
cidedly than  others,  and  there  especially  or  primarily 
expends  its  power.  This  is  not  a  local  action  merely, 
but  a  localization  of  the  drug^s  specific  nature.  It  ap- 
pears, no  matter  by  what  avenue  the  drug  is  introduced 
into  the  body.  A  drug  may  come  into  direct  contact 
with  the  blood,  and  thereby  with  every  part  of  the  or- 
ganism, and  yet  only  certain  tissues  or  organs  will  be 
affected  by  it—  that  is,  only  these  tissues  or  organs  will 
react  against  the  foreign  element.  This  specific  localiza- 
tion, or  specificity  of  seat  of  a  drug,  is  known  as  its  elec- 
tive affinity,  by  which  it  preferably  chooses  certain  cells, 
tissues  or  organs,  to  manifest  its  action.  In  a  general 
way,  we  see  that  Belladonna  affects  principally  the 
brain  as  its  arena  for  action,  and  this  organ,  therefore, 
has  a  preferred  relationship  to  Belladonna.  So,  in  the 
same  way,  Aconite  affects  the  heart,  Ergot  the  uterus, 
Bryonia  the  serous  membranes,  Podophyllum  the  duo- 
denum, Rhus  the  skin;  Tellurium,  the  tympanum; 
Glonoin  the  vaso-motor  centre  in  the  brain;  Phosphor, 
the  periosteum. 

This  elective  affinity  cannot  be  explained,  but  it  ex- 
ists. It  was  recognized  even  before  Hahnemann  and 
homoeopathic  provings,  and  has  been  made  the  founda- 
tion of  a  system  of  practice  by  Rademacher,  a  German 
physician  and  contemporary  of  Hahnemann,  who  him- 
self traces  the  thought  to  Paracelsus. 

AVhile  each  drug  has  a  preferred  locality,  based  on 


Peinciples  of  Homceopathy.  41 

its  elective  affinity,  still  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  whole  organism — the  whole  man,  mentally  and 
physically, — is  affected.  This  is  so,  because  the  var- 
ious functions  and  organs  are  not  independent  instru- 
ments, but  wonderfully  bound  together  by  nerves  and 
blood  vessels,  and  parts  most  remote  are  in  direct 
nerve  communication  with  each  other.  Diseases  are 
produced  and  continued  along  these  lines  of  network, 
when  once  they  have  found  a  foothold,  and  drugs  act 
in  a  similar  manner  along  these  tracks.  We  ought  to 
get  a  mental  picture  of  a  drug  as  a  whole — the  drug 
personified,  and  thus  the  typical  patient  corresponding 
to  the  drug.  Such  study  gives  a  reality  and  practical 
utility  to  the  Materia  Medica. 

Sensations,  or  kind  of  Action.  While  the  special 
seat  of  action  is  the  first  marked  fact  about  the  patho- 
genetic properties  of  drugs,  the  special  kind  of  action  is 
the  second  fact.  This  may  be  seen  in  the  sensations 
and  modalities  of  a  drug.  Thus  the  burning  pains  of 
Arsenic,  the  coldness  of  Camphor  and  Veratrum,  the 
sticking  pains  of  Bryonia,  the  stinging  pains  of  Apis 
and  Theridion,  the  plug  sensations  of  Anacardium,  the 
soreness  of  Arnica  and  Hamamelis,  are  all  characteris- 
tic. Frequently  the  character  of  these  pains  indicates 
the  seat  of  the  action,  and  thus  points  to  the  elective 
affinity  of  the  drug,  as  burning  pains  in  general  indicate 
the  mucous  membranes;  dull,  boring,  gnawing  pains, 
the  bones;  sticking,  cutting  pains,  serous  membranes; 
etc.  In  many  drugs  these  conditions  may  be  so  expres- 
sive of  their  special  character,  that  we  nearly  always 
expect  them  to  be  present  when  they  are  the  homoeo- 
pathically  indicated,  and,  therefore,  prove  to  be  the 
curative  remedy.  Such  characteristic  conditions  are 
the  restlessness  and  anxiety  of  Aconite  and  Arsenic,  the 
chilliness  of  Pulsatilla,  the  thirstlessness  of  Apis,  the 


42  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

dullness  and  drowsiness  of  Gelsemium,  the  hysterial 
contradiction  of  its  symptoms  of  Ignatia,  the  melan- 
choly of  Aurum,  etc. 

Modalities  and  Concomitants.  Modalities  are  con- 
ditions influencing  or  modifying  drug  action.  They 
are  the  phenomena  of  time,  place,  circumstances  on 
which  the  development  and  appearance  of  the  symp- 
toms depend.  Every  drug  has  its  own  mode  of  action, 
manifests  itself  in  a  way  peculiar  to  itself,  distinguish- 
ing it  from  every  other.  It  acts  best  under  certain 
conditions,  in  certain  bodily  and  mental  constitutions, 
which  present,  therefore,  the  most  favorable  ground 
and  environment  for  the  full  and  free  manifestation  of 
the  drug's  individuality.  Just  as  a  plant  thrives  best 
in  certain  conditions  of  soil,  climate,  elevation,  etc. — 
needs,  in  short,  for  its  perfect  development,  a  suitable 
environment, — so  a  drug  must  be  similarly  situated  to 
enable  it  to  express  itself  clearly  and  fully.  It  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  in  drug  proving,  as  well  as  in 
prescribing  homoeopathically,  to  note  the  peculiar 
method  in  which  a  drug  invades  the  animal  economy, 
its  aggravations  and  ameliorations,  the  times  of  the 
day,  and  conditions  of  the  weather,  when  the  action  is 
most  pronounced.  For  instance,  the  marked  increase 
of  pain  on  motion  of  Bryonia,  the  relief  of  headache 
by  wrapping  head  up  warmly  of  Silica,  the  marked 
preference  of  the  left  side  of  the  body  of  Lachesis,  the 
aggravation  of  all  the  symptoms  from  4  to  8  p.  m.  of 
Lycopodium,  the  relief  by  heat  of  Arsenic,  the  aggrava- 
tion of  damp  weather  of  Dulcamara,  are  characteristic 
conditions  of  great  value,  clearly  expressing  the  pecu- 
liar genius  of  these  drugs  and  are  paramount  in  esti- 
mating their  place  in  the  symptomatology.  But,  while 
they  hold  this  important  place,  they  must  not  be 
studied  independently  of  the  whole  of  a  drug's  action. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  43 

for  this  is  needed  for  their  interpretation.  It  is  a  fact 
that  the  study  of  characteristics  alone  leads  quickly 
to  practical  results,  but  also  to  permanent  mediocrity 
in  knowledge  of  drug  action. 

Boeiiiiighaiisen's  method  of  interpreting  symp- 
tomatology consists  essentially  in  the  selection  from 
the  symptoms  of  the  patient,  and  from  those  of  the 
drug,  of  their  elements,  rather  than  try  to  obtain  the 
complete  symptom,  which  latter  consists  of  a  seat  or 
location^  a  sensation  and  a  modality;  but,  in  the  present 
incomplete  state  of  our  Materia  Medica,  most  of  the 
symptoms  are  fragmentary,  and  but  few  are  complete 
in  the  above  sense.  By  the  use  of  Boeninghausen's 
method,  these  fragmentary  symptoms  are  supple- 
mented by  clinical  observation  of  the  curative  effects. 
A  remedy  is  selected  for  a  case  that  is  found  to  possess 
in  its  symptomatology  marked  action  (1)  in  a  certain 
location;  (2)  to  correspond  with  sensation,  and  (3)  pos- 
sess the  same  modality;  without  necessarily  having  in  the 
proving  produced  the  very  symptom  resulting  from  the 
combination.  It  is  to  be  inferred  that  a  full  proving 
would  have  it,  however.  For  instance,  a  patient  with  a 
bearing  pain  in  the  left  hip,  relieved  by  motion,  greatly 
worse  in  the  afternoon,  would  receive  Lycopodium,  not 
because  Lycopodium  has  so  far  produced  in  the  healthy 
such  a  symptom,  but  because,  from  the  study  of  its 
symptoms  as  recorded  in  the  Materia  Medica,  we  do 
find  that  it  affects  the  left  hip  prominently  (locality); 
that  its  pains,  in  various  parts  of  the  body,  are  "tear- 
ing" (sensation);  and  that  its  general  symptoms  are 
relieved  by  motion  and  aggravated  in  the  afternoon 
(modality.)  The  only  justification  for  such  analysis 
and  synthesis  of  symptoms  is  the  imperfection  and 
limitation  of  our  provings  and  especially  the  success 
following  the   application   of    the   newly  constructed 


44  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

symptom,  out  of  these  elements,  in  removing  similar 
symptoms  in  the  patient,  hence  in  curing,  and  the 
reasonableness  of  the  presumption  that  future,  com- 
plete provings  will  develop  the  missing  links  of  the 
complete  symptom  of  the  drug.  It  is  in  entire  har- 
mony with  the  fact  that  every  genuine  symptom  has 
these  three  factors — locality,  sensation,  and  modality — 
these,  when  combined,  constitute  a  perfect  symptom. 
It  is  not  usual  to  get  these,  in  any  one  symptom,  from 
any  one  prover,  but  they  may  be  found  scattered 
through  the  various  provings;  hence  the  legitimacy  of 
Boeninghausen's  method. 

Read  in  this  connection: 

T,  F.  Allen's  paper  before  the  World's  Medical  Congress  at  Chi- 
cago, 1893,  entitled,  "The  Selection  of  the  Homoeopathic  Eemedy, 
especially  in  regard  to  Boeninghausen's  Method,"  published,  with 
discussions,  in  North  American  Journal  of  Hommopathy,  August, 
1893. 

For  further  practical  illustration  of  the  use  of  Boeninghausen's 
method  see  an  instructive,  analytical  report  of  a  case  of  "Progres- 
sive Muscular  Atrophy  Cured  with  Phosphorus,"  by  T.  F.  Allen, 
reported  in  Ilahnemannian  Advocate,  July  15,  1896. 

For  further  study,  consult 

"Organon,"  §$  153,  164,  165,  178. 

Also,  the  preface  to  Hering's  "Guiding  Symptoms,"  Vol.  I. 

"Hirschel's  Rules  and  Examples  for  the  Study  of  Pharmacody- 
namics," Thos,  H.  Hayle. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  45 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DRUG   RELATIONSHIP. 

The  study  of  drug  pathogenesy,  and  its  application 
to  the  treatment  of  disease,  is  furthered  by  the  recogni- 
tion of  different  relationships  that  drugs  occupy  to 
each  other.  Among  these,  the  most  apparent,  but  of 
least  practical  value,  therapeutically,  is  the 

Family  relation,  or  collateral,  side  relation  (con- 
geners), such  as  belong  to  the  same,  or  allied  botanical 
family,  or  chemical  group;  thus  similarity  in  origin  is 
its  claim.  In  a  very  broad  way,  drugs  may  be  divided, 
according  as  they  belong,  to  one  of  the  three  kingdoms 
of  nature,  thus  drugs  from  the  animal  kingdom,  vege- 
table or  mineral.  It  is  not  difficult  to  note  certain 
great  features,  common  to  drugs,  belonging  to  one 
kingdom;  but  similarity  of  effects  is  more  marked  as 
different  members  of  a  botanical  family,  or  chemical 
group,  are  examined.  Thus  the  Ranunculacese  family, 
comprising  drugs  like  Aconite,  Pulsatilla,  Cimicifuga, 
etc.,  show  certain  symptoms  of  marked  similarity — a 
family  likeness  not  to  be  mistaken.  This  is  soiiietimes 
so  great  as  to  seem  identical.  For  instance,  in  the  case 
of  Ignatia  and  Nux  vomica.  Both  come  from  the  same 
order  of  plants,  both  contain  Strychnia,  to  the  pres- 
ence of  which,  undoubtedly,  this  similarity  in  effect 
can  be  attributed.  Now,  when  this  similarity  ap- 
proaches identity  of  effects,  it  has  been  found  that  they 
do  not  follow  each  other  well.  For  instance,  in  a  given 
case  of  stomach  disorder,  indicating  Nux  vomica,  it  is 
injudicious  practice  to  follow  this  by  Ignatia,  on  ac- 
count of  its  too  close  resemblance  to  the  symptoms  of 
the  former  remedy,  the  results  being  unfavorable,  dis> 


46  ,  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

turbing  rather  the   normal  evolution  of   the  curative 
influence. 

Antidotal  Relation.  Certain  drugs  antidote  each 
other  therapeutically,  because  they  produce  similar 
effects  locally  in  certain  parts  of  the  organism  or  on 
certain  tissues  and  functions  or  generally  throughout 
their  action  as  a  whole.  The  antidotal  relation  is  based 
therefore  on  similarity  and  is  operative  according  to 
the  law  of  cure,  similia  similibus;  and  again  the  anti- 
dotal relationship  between  drugs  may  be  general  or 
partial,  according  as  the  similarity  in  their  action  is 
general  or  confined  to  certain  parts  only.  Thus  cam- 
phor antidotes  the  effects  of  cantharis  only  so  far  as 
these  concern  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  urinary 
tract,  while  the  same  tissue  elsewhere  is  not  antidoted 
by  it. 

Such  antidotal  relation  is  of  use  in  practice,  by  which 
we  can  modify  or  annul  an  undesirable  action  of  a 
drug,  for  instance,  Anacardium  bears  an  antidotal  re- 
lation to  Rhus,  especially  in  its  action  on  the  skin, 
Hepar  to  Mercury,  Chamomilla  to  Coffea  and  Pulsa- 
tilla, etc.  An  interesting  phase  of  the  antidotal  rela- 
tionship is  the  mutual  antidotal  or  at  least  modifying 
power  of  the  higher  and  the  lower  attenuations  of  the 
same  drug,  as  well  as  the  antidotal  relationship  between 
the  chronic  effects  of  the  crude  drug  and  the  attenuated 
drug,  as  is  seen  in  treating  chronic  tobacco  poisoning 
with  Tabacum  high.  This  holds  true  at  times  in  acute 
conditions  as  has  been  frequently  verified  in  poisoning 
with  Rhus  where  a  high  attenuation  will  prove  the 
quickest  antidote. 

Concordant  or  Compatible  Relationship.  Hahne- 
mann first  made  the  valuable,  practical  observation 
that  certain  remedies  act  better  when  they  are  given 
in  a  certain  series.     There  seems  to  be  an  afiinity  be- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  47 

tween  them.  They  are  not  of  the  same  natural  family, 
but  of  wholly  dissimilar  origin;  but  they  have  marked 
similarities  in  action.  Such  remedies  may  follow  each 
other  well;  they  point  to  a  deeper  and  closer  relation- 
ship than  that  of  mere  family,  or  similarity  in  origin. 
Such  relationship  exists,  for  example,  between  China 
and  Calcarea,  Pulsatilla  and  Sepia,  Belladonna  and 
Mercurius,  Nitric  acid  and  Thuja,  Mercurius  and  Sul- 
phur, etc. 

Complementary  Relation  exists  between  drugs  that 
complete  a  cure  that  is  begun  by  another  and  carried 
to  a  certain  point,  where  it  is  taken  up  by  another 
drug  and  completed.  If  a  remedy  is  allowed  its  full 
time  of  action,  it  will  often  lead  up  to  a  complement- 
ary remedy — that  is,  the  symptoms  remaining  un- 
touched, or  brought  to  the  surface,  will  often  suggest 
a  drug  known  to  be  complementary  to  the  one  given. 
This  useful  relationship  of  certain  group  of  drugs  is  of 
great  service  in  the  treatment  especially  of  chronic  dis- 
eases. Such  relationship  exists  between  Belladonna 
and  Calcarea;  Apis  and  Natrum  muriaticum;  Aconi- 
tum  and  Sulphur;  Chamomilla  and  Magnesia  phos- 
phorica;  Thuja  and  Silica. 

Inimical  relation  is  the  very  opposite  of  the  concor- 
dant and  complementary.  There  seems  to  be  a  lack  of 
harmony  between  certain  drugs,  as  is  also  seen  in  cer- 
tain chemical  affinities.  This  may  be  so  marked  that 
when  following  each  other  in  the  treatment  of  a  case, 
disturbance  shows  itself  and  the  cure  is  interfered  with 
and  the  whole  case  mixed  up.  Such  a  relation  seems 
to  exist  between  Apis  and  Rhus,  between  Causticum 
and  Phosphorus;  Mercurius  and  Silica;  Sepia  and 
Lachesis  and  others.  Do  not  give  these  remedies  after 
each  other.  It  is  well  to  note  these  inexplicable  condi- 
tions of  drug  action,  based  on  friendly   or    inimical 


48  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

relationship.  If  it  be  remembered  that  drugs  are  em- 
bodied forces,  distinct  entities  with  distinct  powers  to 
modify  human  life  as  manifested  in  functional  activity 
and  organic  changes  we  can  readily  see  that  certain 
forces  can  work  advantageously  side  by  side;  their  joint 
result,  thus  following  each  other,  being  greater  than 
either  one  singly;  and  again  certain  others  cannot  do 
so,  but  mere  contact  or  propinquity  upsetting  the 
orderly  progress  of  the  case. 

For  further  study  see  Boeninghausen,  "The  Sides  of  the  Body 
and  Drug  Afi&nities." 

Mohr,  "The  Inimical  Relationship  of  Drugs." 
Bering's  contributions  in  the  Archiv. 
"Farrington's  Clinical  Materia  Medica."    Lecture  I. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  49 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  APPLICATION   OF   HOMCEOPATHY. 

Homceopathy  consists  essentially  in  the  application 
of  the  principle  of  similars.  Drug  selection  alone  consti- 
tutes Homoeopathy.  The  homoeopathic  physician  has 
to  deal  with  two  sets  of  phenomena  in  treating  disease. 
On  the  one  hand  the  patient,  with  a  certain  train  of 
morbid  symptoms;  on  the  other,  similar  symptoms 
known  to  be  produced  in  the  healthy  by  some  drug. 
The  closer  this  correspondence  in  its  essential  features, 
the  more  certain  and  speedy  the  cure,  on  the  principle 
that  two  like  and  similar  forces  may  neutralize  each 
other.     This  necessitates  consideration  of — 

1.  The  examination  of  the  patient,  and  the  record 
of  his  symptoms. 

2.  The  selection  of  the  remedy  corresponding  to 
this  totality  of  symptoms. 

3.  The  administration  of  the  single  remedy. 

4.  The  dose  and  its  repetition. 

The  Examination  of  the  Patient.  The  first  duty  of 
the  homoeopathic  prescriber  is  clearly  to  understand  the 
nature  of  the  disturbed  functions  of  the  patient,  to  get 
at  the  full  facts  of  the  case  so  far  as  they  are  expressed 
by  symptoms.  The  examination  that  elicits  them  must 
be  thorough  and  complete,  and  will  yield  satisfactory 
results  according  to  the  perfection  of  the  physician's 
general  medical  knowledge.  His  knowledge  of  anatomy 
will  enable  him  to  detect  abnormal  conditions  of  organs; 
physiology  will  show  abnormal  performance  of  func- 
tion; chemistry,  microscopy,  etc.,  will  discover  morbid 
secretions  and  excretions,  etc.  He  makes  use  of  all 
instruments  that  modern  science  places  at  his  disposal, 
4 


50  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

from  the  clinical  thermometer  to  the  stethoscope,  and 
all  other  instruments  of  precision  of  modern  diagnostic 
skill.  All  the  results  thereby  attained  furnish  him  with 
the  objective  phenomena  which  the  patient  presents. 
These  go  far  to  establish  the  diagnosis  of  the  pathologi- 
cal condition.  The  totality  of  symptoms  ascertainable, 
with  the  help  of  our  numerous  diagnostic  aids,  furnishes 
a  much  more  complete  picture,  analytically,  than  was 
possible  in  Hahnemann's  time,  when  the  main  reliance 
had  to  be  placed  on  the  subjective  symptoms.  These 
latter  are  still  of  paramount  importance  in  deciding 
between  drugs  that  are  capable  of  producing  a  similar 
change  in  the  organism;  they  thus  serve  to  determine 
the  one  most  nearly  indicated  remedy  from  among  a 
group  of  more  or  less  related  remedies. 

The  totality  of  the  symptoms  must  he  the  sole  indication 
to  determine  the  choice  of  a  curative  remedy. 

Hahnemann's  teaching  on  this  point  is  expressed  in 
§  18  of  the  Organon,  as  follows: 

"  It  is  then  unquestionably  true  that,  besides  the 
totality  of  symptoms,  it  is  impossible  to  discover  any 
other  manifestation  by  which  diseases  could  express 
their  need  of  relief;  hence,  it  undeniably  follows  that 
the  totality  of  symptoms  observed  in  each  individual 
case  of  disease,  can  be  the  only  indication  to  guide  us 
in  the  selection  of  a  remedy." 

And,  again,  in  §  70,  he  says:  "All  that  a  physician 
may  regard  as  curable  in  diseases,  consists  entirely  in 
the  complaints  of  the  patient  and  the  morbid  changes 
of  his  health  perceptible  to  the  senses — that  is  to  say, 
it  consists  entirely  in  the  totality  of  symptoms  through 
which  the  disease  expresses  its  demand  for  the  appro- 
priate remedy;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  every  ficti- 
tious or  obscure,  internal  cause  and  condition,  or  imag- 
inary, material,  morbific  matter  are  not  objects  of 
treatment." 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  51 

The  totality  of  the  symptoms  consists  in  the  sys- 
tematic ascertaining  of  all  the  symptomatic  facts  nec- 
essary to  determine  the  curative  remedy.  The  totality 
of  symptoms  includes  every  change  of  state  of  body 
and  mind  that  we  can  discover  or  have  observed,  or 
that  has  been  reported  to  the  physician;  thus,  every 
deviation  from  health.  It  includes  every  subjective 
symptom  that  the  patient  can  describe  correctly  and 
every  objective  symptom  the  physician  can  discover  by 
his  senses,  aided  by  all  diagnostic  instruments.  In 
examining  the  patient,  a  definite,  systematic  plan 
should  be  followed.  The  regional  plan,  the  Hahne- 
mannian  Schema  form,  is  perhaps  the  best,  as  it  fol- 
lows a  natural,  anatomical  arrangement. 

Special  Precautions  to  be  Observed.  Be  patient  in 
getting  at  the  symptoms,  especially  in  chronic  diseases. 
There  is  a  great  difference  between  patients;  some  can- 
not, others  will  not,  give  much  aid  in.  analyzing  their 
case;  some  are  morbidly  desirous  of  imparting  symp- 
toms and  will  perhaps,  unconsciously,  warp  their  state- 
ment by  exaggeration. 

Do  not  interrupt  the  patient  in  his  first  recital  too 
much;  lead  him  on,  if  he  wanders  off.  When  he  has 
finished,  cross-examine  him,  by  careful  questioning,  to 
supply  any  deficiencies. 

Avoid  asking  leading  questions,  as  far  as  possible, 
and  not  so  that  the  patient  must  answer  yes  or  no. 

Accept  no  diagnostic  suggestions,  or  pathological 
theories,  or  former  opinions  of  other  physicians,  as 
these  can  be  no  guide  for  the  selection  of  a  curative 
remedy. 

Be  sure  and  get  the  modalities,  especially  the  influ- 
ence of  the  times  of  day,  weather,  season,  position  of 
body,  exercise,  sleep,  etc. 

Pay  special  attention  to  the  mental  state  of  the  patient 
and  his  intellectual  functions. 


52  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

Take  the  apparent,  immediate  cause  of  his  sickness 
into  special  account;  this  is  often  of  importance  for 
selecting  the  remedy,  even  long  afterwards. 

In  chronic  diseases,  especially,  investigation  should 
be  extended  to  the  family  history  of  the  patient; 
heredity  is  a  potent  factor  in  determining  disease. 

The  history  of  the  patient's  previous  diseases,  par- 
ticularly eruptions  of  any  kind  that  may  have  been 
treated  with  strong  local  remedies  and  so  suppressed; 
also,  as  to  all  forms  of  local  treatment  generally,  and 
the  patient's  medical  habits,  the  use  of  patent  medi- 
cines, purgatives,  mineral  waters,  etc. 

Notice  any  alternation  of  groups  of  symptoms,  such 
as  gastric  and  rheumatic  symptoms,  rheumatic  and 
catarrhal,  bronchial  and  skin  affections,  etc. 

Remember  that  certain  bodily  conditions  have  cer- 
tain mental  states — depression  and  constipation,  anx- 
iety and  heart  affections,  hopefulness  and  consump- 
tion, etc. 

Remember  that,  when  a  certain  train  of  symptoms 
are  present  in  some  one  organ  or  apparatus  of  the 
body,  there  are  almost  sure  to  be  present  certain  other 
symptoms,  objective  and  subjective,  in  other  organs 
often,  anatomically,  quite  remote,  and  of  which  the 
patient  probably  is  hardly  aw^are  until  his  attention  is 
called  to  them  by  the  physician.*  For  instance,  cer- 
tain pains  in  the  head  co-exist  with  certain  uterine 
affections,  or  anomalies  of  vision,  etc. 

Write  down  the  record  of  the  symptoms,  beginning 
a  new  line  with  every  symptom.  This  will  greatly 
facilitate  study  and  reference  to  allied  remedies. 

Subjective  symptoms  are  a  description  by  the  pa- 
tient of  his  feelings  as  they  appear  to  him — his  sensa- 
tions.    The  ability  to  express  and  describe  sensations 

*  Dunham. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  53 

is  not  common  to  all  patients;  and  hence,  subjective 
symptoms  must  always  be  interpreted  by  the  physician 
to  a  large  extent.  The  patient  may  deceive  his  physi- 
cian in  stating  them,  as  is  frequently  the  case  with 
hysterical  subjects,  or  he  may  not  be  able  to  describe 
•them  accurately  enough  to  be  utilized,  as  in  the  case  of 
young  children. 

Objective  symptoms  are,  as  a  rule,  the  most  import- 
ant. They  are  all  such  as  the  physician  can  ascertain 
by  means  of  his  senses,  aided  and  unaided. 

In  many  phases  of  disease,  and  with  children  and 
frequently  in  old  people,  where  organic  changes  can  go 
on  to  an  alarming  extent  without  very  marked,  sub- 
jective disturbance,  objective  symptoms  are  all  we 
practically  have  on  which  to  base  a  prescription.  In 
mental  diseases,  objective  symptoms  are  most  import- 
ant for  purposes  of  prescribing. 

Objective  symptoms  are  of  special  value  when  they 
occur  during  sleep,  as  then  the  system  is  relaxed. 

Objective  symptoms  that  are  not  specially  diagnostic 
of  the  disease,  or  of  some  pathological  state,  when  pres- 
ent, are  important  for  purposes  of  prescribing.  On  the 
other  hand,  objective  symptoms  that  are  diagnostic  of 
certain  pathological,  states,  so-called  pathognomonic 
symptoms^  are  of  great  importance  in  guiding  to  a  cer- 
tain class  of  remedies  and  excluding  other  groups,  even 
though  such  may  seem  superficially  indicated. 

The  Totality  in  Acute  Diseases.  In  the  treatment 
of  acute  diseases,  much  of  this  investigation  is  neces- 
sarily dispensed  with,  the  physician  learns  to  use  his 
eyes  and  other  senses  intuitively  and  thus  to  get  hold 
of  certain  characteristic  conditions  quickly  that  are 
known  to  correspond  to  certain  remedies.  Epidemic 
conditions  come  to  his  aid  here  for  rapid  and  usually 
successful  prescribing. 


54  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

The   Collective   Totality  of  Epidemic   Diseases. 

During  the  prevalence  of  epidemic  diseases,  colds, 
grippe,  eruptive  diseases,  etc.,  it  is  often  the  case  that 
two  or  three  remedies  cover  the  field.  It  is  needless  to 
go  into  every  detail  of  the  symptomatology,  since  the 
epidemic  remedies,  when  found,  correspond  to  the  col- 
lective totality  of  numerous  cases  and  types  of  the  epi- 
demic disease;  each  single  case  of  an  epidemic  disease 
presenting  only  a  partial  picture  of  the  true  totality  of 
the  epidemic. 

Interpretation  of  the  Totality.  Having  taken  a 
full  stock  of  the  case  and  thereby  obtained  the  totality 
of  symptoms,  before  prescribing  the  homoeopathically 
indicated  remedy,  correct  all  hygienic,  dietetic  and  sani- 
tary errors.  Often  a  change  in  the  mode  of  life  or 
abstinence  from  some  hurtful  article  of  diet  will  be  all 
that  is  necessary.  But  after  these  things  have  been 
attended  to,  whatever  symptoms  remain  will  call  for 
medical  treatment. 

Having  obtained  a  record  of  the  totality  of  symp- 
toms, a  winnowing  process  must  be  instituted,  by  eli- 
minating the  general  symptoms  and  interpreting  the 
totality  according  to  the  relative  value  of  the  symp- 
toms, and  thus  individualize  the  case  under  treathient. 

In  §83,  Hahnemann  says:  "  Individualization  in  the 
investigation  of  a  case  of  disease,  demands,  on  the  part 
of  the  physician,  principally  unbiased  judgment  and 
sound  sense,  attentive  observation  and  fidelity  in  noting 
down  the  image  of  the  disease."  Hahnemann's  first 
rule  here  is  that  the  characteristics  of  the  case  must  be 
similar  to  the  characteristics  of  the  drug.  §  153.  The 
more  prominent,  uncommon  and  peculiar  features  of 
the  case  are  specially  and  almost  exclusively  considered 
and  noted,  for  these,  in  particular,  should  bear  the  closest 
similitude  to  the  symptoms  of  the  desired  medicine,  if  that 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  55 

is  to  accomplish  the  cure.  By  this  individualization, 
then,  we  eliminate  the  general  symptoms  common  to 
similar  pathological  conditions,  and  present  to  view  the 
individual  patient  as  the  pathological  process  affects 
him.  The  morbid  forces  of  the  disease  unite  themselves 
more  or  less  with  the  inherent  weaknesses  and  disease 
tendencies,  hereditary  or  acquired,  of  the  individual  and 
give  us  his  peculiar  and  therefore  characteristic  symp- 
toms. 

Characteristic  or  Peculiar  Symptoms.  Hahnemann 
calls  especial  attention  to  the  "more  striking,  singular 
and  uncommon,  peculiar  signs  and  symptoms  of  a 
case  of  disease"  which  are  chiefly  to  be  kept  in  view. 
These  symptoms  of  themselves  may  be  of  no  special 
value,  but  become  valuable  or  characteristic  by  their 
conditions  of  aggravation  or  amelioration,  their  concom- 
itants or  locality.  Transient  odd  and  peculiar  symp- 
toms are  however  not  so  important  as  such  as  affect  the 
patient's  general  condition,  hence  the  modalities,  con- 
ditions of  aggravation  and  amelioration  effects  of  heat, 
cold,  weather,  position,  times  of  day,  etc  ,  are  most  im- 
portant. The  modalities  of  a  drug  are  the  pathognomo- 
nic symptoms  of  the  Materia  Medica. 

Mental  symptoms  of  drugs  are  most  important,  and 
are  a  very  pronounced  feature  in  the  pathogenesis  of 
certain  drugs.  Notice  the  mental  state  of  the  patient 
particularly;  does  he  suffer  patiently  or  otherwise. 
They  are  also  of  great  importance  prognostically; 
improvement  in  the  mental  condition  often  precedes 
bodily  and  general  improvement. 

First,  or  Oldest,  Symptoms.  In  the  treatment  of 
chronic  diseases,  the  first  indications  of  a  departure 
from  health  are  of  the  greatest  value,  particularly  those 
occurring   before   there   was  any  treatment.      After  a 


56  A   COMPEND    OF   THE 

remedy  has  been  given,  and  old  symptoms  reappear  in 
the  inverse  order  of  their  development,  it  is  an  indica- 
tion that  the  cure  is  progressing  favorably,  and  no 
other  medicine  should  be  given.  So,  also,  in  acute 
diseases,  the  value  of  first  symptoms  is  great.  In  diph- 
theria for  instance,  the  side  upon  which  it  begins  may 
decide  the  choice  of  the  remedy.* 

Etiological  Factors.  As  a  further  aid  in  arriving 
at  a  utilizable  totality  of  symptoms,  the  immediate 
cause  of  the  present  illness,  if  determinable,  or  its 
exciting  factor,  will  be  a  great  aid  in  the  selection  of 
the  remedy.  Such  causes  may  be  remote  in  time,  and 
not  of  any  apparent  connection  with  the  present  state. 
This  Hahnemann  also  teaches  in  §  5,  Organon,  as  fol- 
lows: "  The  physician,  in  curing,  derives  assistance 
from  the  knowledge  of  facts  concerning  the  most  proba- 
ble cause  of  acute  disease,  as  well  as  from  the  most  sig- 
nificant points  in  the  entire  history  of  a  case  of  chronic 
disease;  aided  by  such  knowledge  he  is  enabled  to  dis- 
cover the  primary  cause  of  the  latter,  dependent  mostly 
on  a  chronic  miasm."  This  gives,  on  the  one  hand,  an 
important  place  to  the  first,  or  oldest,  symptoms  and  to 
causes  however  remote;  and,  on  the  other,  it  elevates  to 
commandhig  importance,  signs  of  constitutional  defects, 
the  underlying  psoric  conditions.  Unquestionably, 
such  frequently  modify  and  relegate  to  comparative 
insignificance  symptoms  of  acute  disorder,  and  favor 
the  selection  of  a  deep-acting,  anti-psoric  remedy  even 
in  acute  diseases.  Such  a  selection  would  be  justified 
by  its  relationship  to  a  truer  similarity  than  would  be 
expressed  by  an  uninterpreted  totality  of  symptoms. 

Late  Symptoms.  The  more  recent  symptoms  are 
valuable  as  being  the  latest  expression  of  the  diseased 

*  S.  Kimball,  in  Homceopathic  Physician,  June,  1895. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  57 

condition,  and  must  be  covered  by  the  remedy.  This 
is  especially  true  in  acute  diseases.  This  is  so  when 
another  remedy  is  chosen;  the  last  symptoms  that  ap- 
pear must  be  the  guide  to  it.  Again,  if  a  patient  has 
been  drugged  by  palliative  medication,  we  must  direct 
our  antidotes  principally  against  the  drugs  given  last 
— for  instance,  against  Quinine,  Pulsatilla,  Ipecac,  etc.; 
against  Iodine,  Hepar;  against  Chloroform,  Hyoscyam, 
etc.  But  this  rule  should  not  be  applied  too  rigorously; 
it  is  best  to  give  no  medicine  at  all  for  a  time. 

Functional  symptoms  of  an  affected  organ  are  of 
much  less  value  than  symptoms  which  occur  in  other 
parts  during  the  exercise,  of  the  function  of  that  organ. 
Burning  pain  in  the  urethra,  during  or  after  micturi- 
tion, is  of  little  value  in  gonorrhoea,  for  it  is  usually 
present;  but  pain  in  the  testicles,  thighs,  or  abdomen 
during  or  after  micturition,  or  symptoms  of  some  other 
part  not  immediately  concerned  in  that  function, 
would  be  more  important.  So,  also,  pain  in  the  stom- 
ach after  eating,  in  indigestion,  is  not  of  as  much  value 
as  vertigo  or  headache  after  eating  would  be  in  the 
same  attack.  Therefore,  symptoms  that  affect  the  gen- 
eral organism  are  of  more  value  than  those  that  are 
functionally  related  to  the  organ  affected.* 

Need  of  Pathology.  A  knowledge  of  the  pathol- 
ogy of  disease  (not  mere  passing,  pathological  theories, 
against  which  Hahnemann  so  justly  protested,)  is  nec- 
essary to  interpret  the  symptomatology  obtained  and 
prescribe  the  truly  indicated  remedy,  and  not  merely 
one  externally  homoeopathic.  The  true  meaning  of  any 
symptom  is  reached  not  by  considering  it  alone,  but 
by  viewing  it  in  relation  to  all  the  rest,  and  thus 
placing  it  in  its  proper  relative  position.     We  must 

*  S.  Kimball. 


58  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

learn  to  view  symptoms  in  perspective.  The  natural 
history  of  diseases  must  be  learned,  as  well  as  their 
different  stages  and  characteristic  signs  accompanying 
them. 

The  use  of  pathology  in  interpreting  the  symptoms 
is  seen  in  the  treatment  of  a  case  of  typhoid  fever, 
where  the  fever,  restlessness,  etc.,  might  call  to  mind 
Aconite  as  a  remedy;  but  a  little  closer  examination 
would  show  this  to  be  but  a  partial  and  apparent 
homoeopathic  relationship.  Pathology  would  interpret 
the  fever  and  restlessness  of  the  typhoid  patient  and 
associate  them  with  the  coming  prostration,  the  septic 
condition,  the  asthenia — conditions  wholly  foreign  to 
Aconite,  which  can  deal  only  with  sthenic  inflamma- 
tions and  healthy  blood. 

Some  symptoms  are  primary,  others  reflex.  After 
an  organic  disease  has  become  established,  secondary 
modifications  of  health  take  place,  which  do  not  offer 
valuable  symptoms  for  purposes  of  prescribing  the 
curative  remedy.  Really  valuable  guiding  symptoms, 
if  found  at  all,  will  be  in  the  earlier  state  of  the  patient 
before  the  organic  changes  have  taken  place;  thus,  in 
the  treatment  of  an  organic  kidney  disease,  a  curative 
remedy  would  be  more  likely  to  be  found  in  the  earlier 
symptoms  that  preceded  the  development  of  the  drop- 
sy, anemia,  etc.,  characteristic  of  the  later  stages. 

Pathology  also  teaches  the  important  difference  be- 
tween the  absolute,  pathognomonic  symptoms  and  the 
contingent  or  peculiar  symptoms  of  a  given  case  of 
disease. 

General  or  absolute  symptoms  are  those  which  are 
common  to  all  patients  suffering  from  the  same  disease 
and  they  are  essential  for  purposes  of  diagnosis.  Thus 
the  fever,  sore  throat  and  rash  are  general  or  absolute 
symptoms  of  Scarlatina,  while  again,  the  fever,  cough. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  59 

physical  signs  and  bloody  sputa  are  absolute  symptoms 
of  Pneumonia. 

Contingent  or  peculiar  symptoms  are  those  which 
vary  with  the  individual  and  are  not  essentially  patho- 
gnomonic of  the  disease^  but  always  of  the  individual' 
patient.  They  are  therefore  the  characteristic  symp- 
toms of  the  patient's  totality  of  symptoms,  and  hence 
most  essential  in  selecting  the  remedy.  Hence  the  rule: 

The  greater  the  value  of  a  symptom  for  purposes  of 
diagnosis,  the  less  its  value  for  the  selection  of  the  homoeo- 
pathic remedy  and  vice  versa. 

The  seemingly  unimportant,  peculiar,  contingent  symp- 
toms of  the  patient,  though  valueless  for  purposes  of  diag- 
nosis, are  the  chief  guiding  symptoms  for  the  selection  of 
the  homoeopathic  remedy. 

Totality  of  quality  rather  than  of  quantity,  is  the 
basis  for  homoeopathic  prescribing.  In  any  case  of  dis- 
ease it  is  necessary  to  discover  in  what  way,  that  is,  by 
what  peculiar, symptoms,  does  one  case  of  illness  differ 
from  every  other  of  the  same  disease.  How  does  this 
patient's  typhoid  or  rheumatism  differ  from  the  typhoid 
or  rheumatism  of  every  other  patient.  This  special 
totality  of  quality,  or  of  characteristics  will  unerringly 
lead  to  the  curative  homoeopathic  remedy.  This  is  the 
Hahnemannian  Similarity.  It  exists  between  the  char- 
acteristic symptoms  of  the  patient  and  the  characteristic 
symptoms  of  the  drug,  and  we  must  individualize  each 
case  in  order  to  arrive  at  this  desirable  goal,  for  the 
selection  of  the  hemoeopathic  remedy.  This  differs 
from  the  mere  Pathological  Similarity  which  consists  in 
matching  diseased  conditions  or  pathological  processes 
as  determined  by  pathological  anatomy.  It  adapts  the 
remedy  to  a  disease  rather  than  to  the  individual  patient. 

Thus,  in  the  treatment  of  pneumonia,  a  remedy 
would  be  given  that  actually  produces  lesions  similar 


60  A   COMPEND   OF  THE 

to  the  pneumonic  process.  Phosphorus  has  actually 
produced  hepatization  of  the  lungs  in  animals  poisoned 
by  it;  hence,  it  should  be  the  curative  similar,  as  it  is 
undoubtedly  the  pathological  similar.  So  Arsenic  pro- 
duces a  gastro-enteritis  and  ultimate  lesions  just  like 
cholera,  and  should,  therefore,  be  the  curative  remedy 
in  this  disease,  since  it  is  the  pathological  similar. 
But  experience  denies  this  deduction.  To  be  curative, 
a  remedy  must  correspond  to  the  characteristic  symp- 
toms, whether  these  are  based  upon  the  ultimate  patho- 
logico-anatomical  lesion  or  not.  Unquestionably,  the 
similarity  in  pathological  process  or  lesion  is  one  of 
the  most  important  factors  in  the  totality,  but  not  the 
determining  one  in  every  case. 

Examples  of  pathological  similarities  between  dis- 
eases and  drugs.  The  gastro-enteritis  and  paralysis  of 
Arsenic;  epileptiform  convulsions  of  Hydrocyanic  acid; 
broncho-pneumonia  of  Tartar  emetic;  anaemia  of  Ar- 
gentum;  catalepsy  of  Cannabis  indica;  tinnitus  auri- 
um  of  Quinine;  Meniere's  disease  of  Salycilic  soda;  colic 
of  Plumbum;  asthma  of  Ipecac;  tabes  of  Ergot;  fatty 
degeneration  of  Phosphorus;  glycosuria  of  Uranium; 
meningitis  of  Belladonna,  etc,  etc. 

Use  of  Pathological  similarity.  Often  in  the  course 
of  acute  diseases,  and  in  children,  where  no  character- 
istic symptoms  can  be  obtained,  pathological  corres- 
pondence may  be  the  only  recourse;  but  it  is  otherwise 
in  the  treatment  of  most  chronic  diseases.  Here  the 
method  of  the  Hahnemannian  similarity  yields  best 
results. 

Method  of  Treating  Slight  Ailments.  It  is  a  mis- 
take to  prescribe  remedies  for  every  slight  ailment.  It 
is  best  to  follow  Hahnemann's  directions,  Organon, 
§  150:  "Whenever  a  patient  complains  of  only  a  few 
insignificant  symptoms  of  recent  origin,  the  physician 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  61 

is  not  to  regard  them  as  a  disease  requiring  serious 
medical  aid.  A  slight  change  of  diet  and  habits  of 
living  generally  suffices  to  remove  so  slight  an  indispo- 
sition. 

Absence  of  Characteristic  Syinptoms  in  the  To- 
tality. There  are  cases  where  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  obtain  any  very  characteristic  symptoms;  these  are 
difficult  to  handle.  §  165.  Or  there  may  be  only  one 
or  two  prominent  symptoms,  which  may  obscure  the 
remaining  features  of  the  case,  so-called 

Partial  or  One-sided  Diseases.  The  best  rule  is  to 
be  most  painstaking  in  eliciting  symptoms,  and  then 
make  the  best  uses  of  the  few  symptoms  to  serve  as 
guides  in  the  selection  of  the  remedy.  Although  the 
remedy  may  be  but  imperfectly  adapted,  it  will  serve 
the  purpose  of  bringing  to  light  the  symptoms  belong- 
ing to  the  disease,  thus  facilitating  a  choice  of  the  next 
remedy.  Organon,  §§  173-184.  Diagnostic  symptoms 
of  a  disease,  although  of  least  importance  for  selecting 
the  remedy,  may  be  all  we  have  in  a  given  case  for 
guidance.  If  so,  the  remedy  corresponding  to  them  can 
be  chosen  by  paying  special  attention  to  their  modali- 
ities,  i.  e.j  conditions  of  aggravation,  concomitants, 
etc.  For  instance,  in  dysentery,  the  tenesmus  is  an 
important,  diagnostic  symptom,  but  no  guiding  one 
to  any  remedy,  since  many  medicines  have  this  general 
symptom;  but  if  attended  with  any  modalities  or  con- 
comitants, it  may  become  a  leading  indication;  for 
instance,  Nux  vom.,  the  tenesmus  and  pain  in  the  back 
cease  with  the  stool;  in  Mercurius,  they  continue  after 
it.  In  this  way  a  general  symptom  may  become  a 
characteristic  one,  leading  to  the  choice  of  the  curative 
drug. 

For  further  study  consult: 
•'Organon,  '  ^  153-173. 


62  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

'*  The  Relative  Value  of  Symptoms,"  by  S.  A.  Kimball,  M.D., 
in  Homceopathic  Physician,  June,  1895.     A  very  valuable  essay. 

**  The  Examination  of  the  Patient  for  a  Homceopathic  Pre- 
scription," by  P.  P.  Wells,  M.D.  Transactions  Int.  Homceopathic 
Association,  1888,  page  18. 

"The  Genus  Epidermicus, "  by  A.  McNeil,  M.D.  Transactions 
of  Hahnemann  Association,  1889. 

"The  Selection  of  the  Homoeopathic  Eemedy,"  by  T.  F. 
Allen,  M.D.  Eead  before  World's  Medical  Congress  in  Chicago, 
1893;  published  in  North  American  Journal  of  Homoeopathy,  August, 
1893. 

"The  First  Prescription,"  by  O.  M.  Drake,  M.D.,  in  Homeeo- 
pathic  Physician,  January,  1895. 

"Dudgeon's  Lectures  on  Homoeopathy."  Lecture  XI:  On  the 
Selection  of  the  Remedy.  This  gives  an  account  of  the  different 
views  held  by  the  representative  older  disciples  of  Hahnemann, 
and  is  very  interesting  from  an  historical  point  of  view. 

"The  Totality  of  Symptoms."  A  paper  read  before  the  Amer- 
ican Institute  of  Homoeopathy,  by  Wm.  Boericke,  M.D.  Pub- 
lished in  the  Hahnemannian  Advocate,  August,  1896. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  63 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE    SIMILIMUM. 

The  indicated  remedy  in  any  case  is  the  remedy 
that  corresponds  to  the  totality  of  symptoms,  as  inter- 
preted according  to  the  relative  rank  of  symptoms,  and 
not  one  covering,  merely  some  isolated  characteris- 
tic or  key-note  symptom,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  one 
that  corresponds  merely  to  the  pathological  lesion. 
The  objections  to  the  key-note  system  of  selecting  the 
remedy  are  its  disregard  for  the  fall  study  of  the 
remedy  and  elevation,  instead  of  some  minor  often 
clinical  symptom,  yielding  at  best  only  palliative 
results,  while  the  objection  to  the  pathological  basis  is 
its  incompleteness,  being  only  a  partial  picture  of  the 
totality  of  symptoms  and  therefore  an  unreliable  basis 
for  curative  prescribing. 

The  similimum  is  the  most  similar  remedy  corres- 
ponding to  a  case,  one  covering  the  true  totality  of 
symptoms,  and  when  found,  is  always  curative,  and  in 
incurable  cases,  it  is  the  best  possible  palliative  remedy. 

Unfortunately,  in  the  present  state  of  our  Materia 
Medica,  and  other  limitations  of  our  art,  the  Similimum 
in  any  case  of  illness,  is  not  always  discoverable. 
Nevertheless,  a  cure  is  possible,  albeit,  not  so  prompt 
as  it  would  be  if  the  chosen  remedy  were  the  Simili- 
mum to  the  case.  While  this  is  the  ideal  to  be  sought, 
the  prescriber  must  more  frequently  be  satisfied  with 
the  selection  of  a  mere  similar  instead.  Fortunately, 
the  very  conception  of  similarity  is  one  of  relative  near- 
ness and  does  not  express  an  absolute  relation;  it  is  com- 
parative always,  thus  a  drug  is  more  or  less  similar 
according  to  the  nearness  of  its  correspondence  to  the 
totality  of  symptoms.     Moreover,  the  experience  and 


64  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

practice  of  the  homoeopathic  school  teaches  that  any- 
one of  several  more  or  less  similar  remedies  may  be 
used  with  alike  good  results,  that  is,  it  may  be  suffici- 
ently similar  to  bring  about  nature's  reaction. 

The  merely  similar  remedy,  though  falling  short  of 
the  dignity  of  the  Similimum  is  not  thereby  removed 
from  capacity  of  curative  service,  but  the  curative  res- 
ponse is  not  as  direct  and  prompt  as  results  from  the 
administration  of  the  similimum  which  must  ever  be, 
in  every  homoeopathic  prescription,  the  ideal  to  be 
sought. 

The  selection  of  the  Similimum  involves  its  adminis- 
tration singly  and  without  admixture  of  any  other 
medicinal  substance. 

The  single  remedy  is  the  necessary  corollary  to  the 
similar  remedy.  It  is  to  be  given  alone,  not  alternated 
or  mixed  with  any  other*.  Only  then  can  its  pure 
effects  be  evolved  and  estimated,  and  the  single  remedy 
must  be  given  in  the  smallest  dose  that  will  bring 
about  nature's  reaction.  The  single  remedy  does  not 
mean  a  simple  remedy.  All  chemical  salts,  which  are 
composite  substances,  the  juice  of  plants,  like  Opium, 
a  most  marvelously  compounded  substance,  are  all 
single  remedies  and  used  as  such  in  homoeopathy. 
Any  single  substance  that  has  been  proved  upon  the 
healthy,  as  an  entity  and  whose  pathogenesis  is  known, 
can  be  administered;  but  it  must  be  given  unmixed 
with  any  other  medicinal  substance,  so  as  to  obtain  its 
own  peculiar  drug  force  unmodified  by  any  other. 

It  is  the  similar  relationship  alone  that  constitutes 
the  homoeopathicity.     The  size  of  the  dose  has  com- 

*  As  early  as  1797,  Hahnemann  wrote,  in  Hufeland's  Journal, 
that  for  several  years  he  had  never  administered  anything  but  the 
single  remedy  at  a  time,  and  never  repeated  the  dose  until  the 
action  of  the  first  had  expired. 


Principles  of  Homoeopathy.  65 

paratively  little  to  do  with  it,  except  so  far  as  experi- 
ence may  indicate  it.  It  may  be  given  in  a  crude 
form,  wholly  unprepared  by  the  pharmacist's  skill,  or 
in  material  dosage,  provided  it  does  not  produce  tem- 
porary aggravation  of  the  symptoms;  or  it  may  be  ad- 
ministered stripped  of  all  its  apparent  material,  vis- 
ible and  tangible  particles.  Experience  alone  can 
teach  which  will  bring  about  the  best  results  in  any 
given  case. 

Alternation  or  rotation  of  remedies  is  reprehensible 
practice,  since  it  leads  away  from  accurate  and  definite 
knowledge  of  drug  effects,  and  sooner  or  later  leads  to 
polypharmacy,  which  is  the  most  slovenly  of  all  prac- 
tice. Since  we  have  no  provings  of  combination  of 
drugs,  it  would  be  impossible  to  prescribe  such  combi- 
nations with  scientific  accuracy.  In  regard  to  alterna- 
tion, Hahnemann  says  :  ''  Some  homoeopathists  have 
made  the  experiment  in  cases  where  they  deemed  one 
remedy  suitable  for  one  portion  of  symptoms  of  a  case 
of  disease,  and  a  second  for  another  portion,  of  admin- 
istering both  remedies  at  once,  or  almost  at  once;  but 
I  earnestly  deprecate  such  hazardous  experiments,  that 
can  never  be  necessary,  though  they  sometimes  seem 
to  be  of  use."     Note  to  §  272,  Organon. 

For  further  study,  read — 

"Organon,"  $$272-275. 

Dunham:  "Science  of  Therapeutics — Alternation  of  Remedies." 

Edmund  Capper:  "The  Method  of  Hahnemann  and  the  Homoe- 
opathy of  To-day,"  in  Journal  of  British  Homoeopathic  Society,  Jan- 
uary, 1895. 

Jones:  "The  Ground's  of  a  Homoeopath's  Faith."  Lecture  2: 
"The  Single  Remedy." 

Joslin:  "The  Principles  of  Homoeopathy — The  Single  Rem- 
edy." 

Eleanor  F.  Martin,  M.D.:  "The  Single  Remedy  vs.  Alterna- 
tion," in  Pacific  Coast  Journal  of  Homoeopathy,  October,  1894. 

5 


66  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    SECOND    PRESCRIPTION. 

In  the  treatment  of  chronic  diseases,  Hahnemann's 
instructions  to  write  out  the  symptoms  and  arrange 
them  according  to  the  rules  given,  is  an  absolute  neces- 
sity to  attain  accuracy  of  knowledge  of  the  possible 
indicated  drugs  and  the  selection  of  the  most  similar 
remedy.  This  procedure  ensures  also  a  ready  selection 
of  the  second  prescription,  since  the  record  will  answer 
all  of  the  necessary  questions  and  determine  the  right 
course  to  be  pursued.  The  prescriber's  attitude  after 
the  first  prescription,  in  the  treatment  of  chronic  dis- 
eases especially,  ought  to  be  passive.  The  first  and 
foremost  rule  is  to  wait  and  watch  further  developments. 
The  selected  homoeopathic  remedy  simply  stimulates 
the  vital  forces  to  reaction,  and  we  must  await  results. 

No  further  interference  is  called  for  when  any  one 
of  the  following  conditions  presents  itself: 

1.  Short  aggravation  of  the  Symptoms.  This  is  a 
curative  effect  of  the  remedy.  Do  not  interfere  with  it 
unless  the  aggravation  continues  and  the  general 
state  of  the  patient  is  worse,  in  which  case  an  antidote, 
i.  e.,  a  homoeopathic  remedy  for  the  latest  symptoms  is 
indicated.  Usually  on^  dose  of  such  an  antidote  is  all 
that  is  required  to  modify  the  condition,  and  then  the 
case  can  progress  without  further  interruption. 

2.  General  Amelioration  of  the  Symptoms.  It  is  self 
evident  that  such  a  condition  should  not  be  disturbed 
by  further  medication,  on  the  principle  of  letting  well 
enough  alone.  If  the  disease  gets  better  from  within 
outward,  from  above  downward  from  more  vital  to  less 
vital  parts,  the  improvement  is  permanent  and  radical. 


Principles  of  Homceqpathy.  67 

So  an  improved  mental  state  is  always  a  favorable  in- 
dication of  a  well  chosen  remedy. 

3.  Reappearance  of  old  Symptoms.  The  return  of 
some  of  the  older  symptoms,  if  not  too  severe,  indicates 
a  curative  action  of  the  remedy  administered,  if  they 
appear  in  the  reverse  order  of  their  development,  i.  e.,  if 
the  latest  symptoms  disappear  first. 

4.  Appearance  of  new  symptoms.  If  such  come  on 
after  the  administration  of  a  remedy,  they  may  be 
clinical  symptoms  of  the  remedy,  and  if  there  is  at  the 
same  time  general  improvement,  they  need  not  be  con- 
sidered, as  they  will  disappear.  If  they  persist,  the 
homoeopathic  antidote  will  soon  rectify  the  passing 
increase  of  the  morbid  phenomena.  Under  all  these 
conditions,  no  further  medication  is  required.  So  long 
as  improvement  is  thus  progressing,  it  is  folly  to  change 
the  remedy,  and  it  is  not  advisable  even  to  repeat  the 
dose. 

Other  Favorable  Symptoms.  In  acute  disease,  it  is 
a  favorable  symptom  if  the  patient  falls  asleep  soon 
after  taking  the  remedy;  also,  if  he  feels  generally  better, 
though  the  local  symptoms  may  not  show  any  improve- 
ment. The  improvement  here  is  probably  largely 
psychical,  and  will  soon  be  followed  by  the  necessarily 
slower  improvement  on  the  physical  plane. 

The  mental  condition  and  general  behavior  of  the 
patient,  if  more  tranquil  and  natural,  are  among  the 
most  certain  and  intelligible  signs  of  incipient  improve- 
ment, especially  in  acute  diseases. 

Should  this  progressive  evolution  of  the  symptoms 
towards  health  cease, 

A  further  review  of  the  case  is  required,  and  a  new 
remedy  is  to  be  chosen  when — 

(1)  The  mental  state  shows  an  embarrassed,  help- 
less state  instead  of  the  tranquility  of  improvement. 


68  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

(2)  When  no  change  of  any  kind  follows  the  first 
prescription,  after  waiting  long  enough  for  reaction, 
which  is,  however,  a  variable  matter,  according  to  the 
chronicity  of  the  case  and  character  of  the  remedy 
chosen,  the  shortest  period  to  be  allowed  in  a  chronic 
disease  being  one  week,  and  preferably  a  longer  time. 

(3)  When  new  and  important  symptoms  and  old  mo- 
dalities, especially  aggravations  that  persist ,  characterize 
the  case,  proving  that  the  remedy  was  not  homoeopathic 
to  the  case,  and  acted  only  as  a  pathogenetic  agent  in 
producing  new  symptoms.  This  is  the  danger  of  select- 
ing a  remedy  only  remotely  similar  instead  of  the 
similimum.  The  second  remedy  will  often  be  found  a 
complementary  drug  of  the  first. 

Three  Precautionary  Rules  of  Hahnemann.    The 

author  of  Homoeopathy,  in  his  work  on  "  The  Chronic 
Diseases,"  has  established  three  precautionary  rules, 
which  he  has  impressed  in  the  most  urgent  manner 
upon  the  minds  of  his  disciples,  and  which  no  homoeo- 
pathic physician  can  violate  without  committing  the 
greatest  faults  in  practice.     They  are  the  following: 

1.  To  suppose  that  the  doses  which  he  had  recom- 
mended for  every  anti-psoric  remedy,  and  which  expe- 
rience had  taught  him  to  be  the  proper  doses,  are  too 
small. 

2.  The  improper  selection  of  a  drug. 

3.  The  too  great  haste  in  administering  a  new  dose. 
Precautionary  Rule  No.  1. — Smallness  of  dose.     The 

debates  relative  to  the  smallness  of  doses  are  far  from 
being  closed.  The  more  that  has  been  written  on  that 
subject  for  some  years  past,  the  more  contradiction  has 
been  heaped  upon  contradiction.  What  is  a  truly  re- 
markable circumstance  in  this  discussion — a  circum- 
stance which  is  by  no  means  creditable  to  the  oppo- 
nents of  small  doses — is  the  fact  that  the  manner  in 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  69 

which  Hahnemann  gradually  arrived  at  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  small  doses  in  practice,  in  consequence  of 
repeated  trials,  observations,  experience,  seems  either 
to  have  been  forgotten  or  entirely  ignored. 

It  is  experience,  and  nothing  else,  which  led  the 
carefully-observing  author  of  that  immortal  text-book 
to  that  minuteness  of  doses  which  has  now  become  an 
object  of  derision.  In  the  second  edition  of  "  Chronic 
Diseases,"  after  having  spoken  of  homoeopathic  aggra- 
vations, Hahnemann  continues  thus:  ^^ If  the  original 
symptoms  of  the  disease  continue  ivith  the  same  intensity 
in  the  succeeding  days  as  in  the  beginning,  or  if  this  inten- 
sity increases,  this  is  a  sure  sign  that,  although  the  remedy 
may  be  homoeopathic,  yet  the  magnitude  of  the  dose  will 
make  the  cure  impossible.  The  remedial  agent,  by  its 
powerful  disproportionate  action,  not  only  neutralizes 
its  genuine  homoeopathic  effects,  but  established,  more- 
over, in  the  system,  a  medicinal  disease  by  the  side  of 
the  natural  disturbance,  which  is  even  strengthened  by 
the  medicine." 

That  portion  of  the  preceding  quotation,  which  is 
printed  in  italics,  embodies  a  great  truth  which  has 
never  been  denied,  which  has  been  abundantly  con- 
firmed by  the  numerous  results  of  the  allopathic  treat- 
ment of  chronic  diseases,  and  is,  therefore,  well  worthy 
of  attentive  and  serious  consideration.  Such  results 
are  even  witnessed  in  the  comparatively  easy  treatment 
of  syphilis,  from  the  abuse  of  mercury,  which  is  then 
secondary  syphilis. 

Hahnemann  continues  afterwards:  ^'This  pernicious 
effect  of  too  large  a  dose  may  be  observed  already  in  the 
first  sixteen,  eighteen  or  twenty  days  of  its  action.  In 
such  a  case  it  becomes  necessary  either  to  give  an  anti- 
dote, or  if  the  antidote  should  not  be  known,  to  admin- 
ister a  very  small  dose  of  such  antipsoric  as  corre- 
sponds most  homoeopathically  to  the  symptoms  of  both 


70  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

the  natural  and  the  artificial  disease.  If  one  anti- 
psoric  should  not  be  sufficient,  another,  of  course,  ought 
to  be  given,  after  having  been  selected  with  the  same 
care." 

How  little  an  excessive  dose  is  capable  of  displaying 
its  full  curative  powers  may  be  seen  from  the  following 
remarks  of  the  author  of  homoeopathy:  "The  excessive 
action  of  the  otherwise  homoeopathic  remedial  agent 
having  been  subdued  by  the  proper  antidote  or  by 
antipsoric  remedies,  the  same  agent  may  then  be  ex- 
hibited again,  but  of  a  much  higher  potency,  and  in  a 
more  minute  dose."  But  this  agent  would  have  no 
effect,  if  a  first  powerful  dose  of  it  had  not  accomplished 
in  the  beginning  all  the  good  that  the  agent  is  capable 
of  doing. 

Finally,  Hahnemann  observes:  "  Nothing  is  lost  by 
giving  even  smaller  doses  than  those  which  I  have  in- 
dicated. The  doses  can  be  scarcely  too  much  reduced, 
provided  the  effects  of  the  remedy  are  not  disturbed  by 
improper  food.  The  remedial  agent  will  act  even  in 
the  smallest  quantity,  provided  it  corresponds  perfectly 
to  all  the  symptoms  of  the  disease,  and  its  action  is  not 
interfered  with  improper  diet.  The  advantage  of  giv- 
ing the  smallest  dose  is  this,  that  it  is  an  easy  matter  to 
neutralize  their  effects  in  case  the  medicine  should  not 
have  been  chosen  with  the  necessary  exactitude.  This 
being  done,  a  more  suitable  antipsoric  may  be  admin- 
istered." 

This  advice  ought  to  be  carefully  considered,  especi- 
ally by  the  beginners,  together  with  the  warning  which 
Hahnemann  has  expressed  in  the  preface  to  his  work 
on  "  Chronic  Diseases."  "  What  would  they  have 
risked,  if  they  had  first  followed  my  indications  and 
then  employed  small  doses  ?  The  worst  which  would 
have  befallen  them  was,  that  those  doses  would  have 
been  of  no  avail.     It  was  impossible  that  they  should 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  71 

do  any  harm.  But  instead  of  exhibiting  small  doses, 
they  employed,  from  a  want  of  sense  and  of  their  own 
accord,  large  doses  for  homoeopathic  use,  thus  exposing 
the  lives  of  their  patients,  and  arriving  at  truth  by 
that  circuitous  route  which  I  had  traveled  upon  before 
them  with  trembling  hesitation,  but  the  end  of  which  I 
had  just  reached  with  success.  Nevertheless,  after 
having  done  much  mischief,  and  after  having  squand- 
ered the  best  period  of  their  lives,  they  were  obliged, 
when  they  were  really  desirous  of  curing  a  disease,  to 
resort  to  the  only  true  method  which  I  had  demonstra- 
ted to  them  a  long  while  ago.  * 

Diet  and  Regimen  during  Homoeopathic  Treat- 
ment. Hahnemann  and  the  early  homoeopathists  laid 
great  stress  on  a  strict  diet;  but  this  is  a  field  that  has 
been  greatly  neglected  in  modern  times,  largely  be- 
cause it  was  found  that  the  power  and  efficacy  of  the 
well-chosen  remedy  were  able  to  manifest  themselves, 
notwithstanding  great  license  in  diet  and  hygiene. 
Nevertheless,  a  return  to  Hahnemann's  careful  restric- 
tions may  be  advisable  in  many  cases.  His  teachings, 
in  this  regard,  are  as  follows: 

"The  minuteness  of  the  dose  required  in  homoeo- 
pathic practice,  makes  it  necessary  that  every  other 
kind  of  medicinal  influence  that  might  cause  a  dis- 
turbance should  be  avoided  in  the  diet  and  regimen  of 
patients,  in  order  that  the  highly  rarified  dose  may  not 
be  counteracted,  overpowered,  or  disturbed  by  extra- 
neous, medicinal  influences.  In  chronic  cases,  there- 
fore, it  is  especially  necessary  to  remove  all  obstacles 
of  this  nature  with  the  greatest  care,  since  they  exer- 
cise a  deleterious  effect. '* 

Regimen  in  Acute  Diseases.  Here  the  instinct  of 
the  patient  usually  guides  him  aright,  and  his  cravings 

*  Quoted  from  Von  Boenninghausen. 


72  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

can  be  judiciously  gratified.  "  The  food  and  drink 
most  commonly  craved  by  patients  suffering  from 
acute  diseases  is  generally  of  a  palliative  and  soothing 
kind,  and  not  properly  of  a  medicinal  nature,  but 
merely  adapted  to  the  gratification  of  a  certain 
longing." 

"  In  acute  diseases,  the  temperature  of  the  room  and 
the  quantity  of  covering  should  be  regulated  entirely 
according  to  the  wishes  of  the  patient,  while  every 
kind  of  mental  exertion  and  emotional  disturbance  is 
to  be  carefully  avoided." 

For  further  study,  read: 

"  brganon,"  ^  253-263. 

"The  Second  Prescription,"  by  Dr.  J.  T.  Kent,  in  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Hahnemannian  Association,  1888,  page  71. 

"Practical  Hints  on  the  Management  of  Chronic  Cases."  by 
W.  P.  Wesselhoeft,  M.D.,  in  Transactions  of  Hahnemannian  Asso- 
ciation, 1889,  page  8. 

"Procedure  in  the  Treatment  of  Inactive,  Progressive  Chronic 
Diseases,"  by  T.  J.  Kent,  in  Hahnemannian  Advocate,  July,  1896. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  73 


CHAPTER  X. 

HAHNEMANN'S    NOSOLOGY. 

The  classification  of  diseases  adopted  by  Hahne- 
mann includes  two  types,  acute  and  chronic.  §§  72-82, 
Organon. 

Acute  diseases  originate  from  defective  hygiene, 
errors  in  diet,  physical  agents,  cold,  heat  and  other 
atmospheric  changes,  mental  and  moral  influences. 

Again,  telluric  and  meteoric  and  bacterial  influen- 
ces give  rise  to  acute  diseases,  attacking  a  number  of 
individuals,  at  the  same  time  giving  rise  to  epidemic 
and  contagious  diseases.  Besides  these  general  causes, 
there  are  types  of  acute  disease  that  are  transient  acti- 
vities of  the  hitherto  dormant  psoric  miasm,  rendered 
so  from  some  cause  or  other. 

It  is  well  to  bear  this  possible  cause  of  certain  acute 
diseases  in  mind,  since  corresponding  antipsoric  reme- 
dies may  possibly  come  into  requisition  for  their  cure 
or  temporary  subsidence. 

Chronic  diseases  are  such  as  are  produced  by  infec- 
tion from  a  chronic  miasm,  and  which  the  vital  powers 
of  the  organism,  aided  by  hygienic  and  dietetic  and 
sanitary  measures  are  not  able  to  extinguish.  The 
chronic  miasms  giving  rise  to  all  forms  of  chronic  dis- 
ease are  psora,  syphilis  and  sycosis.  Hahnemann  does 
not  classify  among  these  chronic  diseases  such  as  result 
from  living  under  unhygienic  and  unsanitary  influen- 
ces, or  trying  mental  conditions,  dietetic  errors, 
excesses  of  all  kinds,  etc.  These  diseases  disappear  of 
themselves  by  mere  change  of  regimen  and  surround- 
ings and   removing  the  cause,  provided,  there  is   not 


74  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

present  one  of  the  three  chronic  miasms  that  are  the 
real  causes  of  all  chronic  disease. 

Drug  Diseases.  On  the  other  hand,  prolonged  drug 
use  in  heroic  doses  does  produce  a  species  of  chronic 
disease  that  is  most  difficult  to  cure,  and  when  such 
have  attained  a  considerable  hold,  it  would  seem  as  if 
no  remedy  could  be  discovered  for  their  radical  cure.  * 
Organon,  §§  74  and  75. 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  we  are  still  obliged  to 
count  among  chronic  diseases,  very  common  affections 
which  are  to  be  regarded  as  the  result  of  allopathic 
treatment,  and  the  continual  use  of  violent,  heroic 
medicines  in  large  and  increasing  doses.  Examples  of 
that  kind  are:  the  abuse  of  Calomel,  Corrosive  subli- 
mate, Mercurial  Ointment,  Nitrate  of  Silver,  Iodine  and 
its  ointments.  Opium,  Valerian,  Quinine,  Digitalis,  etc., 
the  use  of  purgatives  persisted  in  for  years,  etc."  To 
which  might  be  added  the  modern  abuse  of  Coal  tar 
products,  patent  medicines.  Such  wanton  treatment 
weakens  the  organism,  abnormally  deranged  and 
wholly  altered.  Irritability  and  sensibility  are  in- 
creased or  decreased,  hypertrophy  and  atrophy,  soften- 
ing and  indurations  in  certain  organs  and  organic 
lesions  are  produced.  Such  are  some  of  the  results  of 
nature's  efforts  to  protect  the  organism  against  com- 
plete destruction  by  aggressive  treatment  with  perni- 
cious drugs. 

The  Evolution  of  Halinemann's  Doctrine  of 
Chronic  Diseases.  After  Hahnemann's  discovery  of 
the  Law  of  Cure  in  1790,  he  worked  incessantly  inves- 

*  The  treatment  of  drug  diseases  by  the  use  of  the  highest  po- 
tency of  the  drug  producing  them  is  to  be  tried  in  these  obstinate 
chronic  affections,  it  is  an  entirely  consistent  homoeopathic  proce- 
dure. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  75 

tigating  the  action  of  drugs  on  the  healthy,  and  prac- 
ticed according  to  the  newly-discovered  law  and  by 
the  light  and  aid  the  new  Materia  Medica  was  able  to 
give.  The  success  of  this  practical  application  of  the 
Law  of  Cure  was  striking  in  the  extreme.  Especially 
true  was  this  in  the  treatment  of  acute  diseases  and 
epidemics.  As  to  chronic  diseases,  in  which  allopathic 
treatment  was  so  often  worse  than  useless,  homoeo- 
pathy rarely  failed  to  improve  or  ameliorate  the  condi- 
tions in  a  very  short  time.  But,  though  the  patients 
were  often  very  much  relieved,  they  were  not  cured, 
for  their  complaints  would  return  more  or  less  by 
many  unfavorable  circumstances,  such  as  errors  of 
diet,  poor  hygienic  conditions,  unfavorable  weather, 
mental  emotions,  etc.  Their  return,  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, was  generally  attended  with  the  appear- 
ance of  new  symptoms,  often  more  troublesome  and 
more  difficult  of  removal  than  before.  Even  when  the 
treatment  of  these  chronic  diseases  was  conducted 
strictly  according  to  the  doctrines  of  the  homoeopathic 
art,  Hahnemann  himself  owned  that  "  their  commence- 
ment was  cheering,  their  progress  less  favorable,  their 
issue  hopeless."  "And  yet,"  he  adds,  "  the  homoeo- 
pathic doctrine  itself  is  built  upon  the  impregnable 
pillars  of  truth  and  must  ever  remain  so."  Whence 
this  inferior  success,  this  absolute  want  of  success  in 
the  prolonged  treatment  of  chronic  diseases?  If 
homoeopathy  is  based  upon  a  natural  law — nature's 
law  for  healing — and  the  conditions  for  carrying  out 
the  law  are  observed,  there  ought  not  to  be  any  failure 
—  only  success.  Why,  then,  this  failure  at  times  in 
certain  patients  and  even  typical  acute  diseases;  why 
this  almost  constant  failure  in  chronic  disease? 

He  says  that,  from  the  year  1816-17,  the  solution  of 
this  problem  occupied  him  day  and  night,  and  at 
length  he  succeeded  in  solving  it.     Like  all  of  Hahne- 


76  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

mann's  work,  it   was  the   fruit  of   long   and   patient 
observation  and  study  and  experiment. 

Ten  years  later,  in  1827,  he  was  ready  to  communi- 
cate this  new  discovery,  as  he  believed  this  epoch- 
making  theory,  to  the  profession.  He  summoned  to 
Coethen,  where  he  was  then  practicing  as  physician  to 
the  reigning  prince,  two  of  his  most  esteemed  disciples, 
Doctors  Stapf  and  Gross,  and  communicated  to  them 
his  theory  of  the  origin  of  chronic  diseases  and  his  dis- 
covery of  a  completely  new  series  of  medicines  for  their 
cure,  exhorting  them  to  test  the  truth  of  his  opinions 
and  discoveries  in  their  own  practice.  He  disclosed 
this  to  these  two  disciples  in  case  his  death — for  he  was 
then  in  his  seventy^third  year — should  have  occurred 
before  the  publication  of  his  book  on  the  subject.  This 
remarkable  book,  entitled  "  The  Chronic  Diseases, 
Their  Peculiar  Nature  and  Homoeopathic  Treatment," 
duly  appeared  the  next  year,  1828.  With  the  publica- 
tion of  this  book,  supplementing  the  Organon,  the  high- 
water  mark  of  medical  philosophy  was  reached.  A  few 
generations  hence  this  will  be  generally  acknowledged. 

Cause  of  Recurrence  of  Chronic  Diseases. 

His  researches  and  reflections,  Hahnemann  tells  us 
in  his  work,  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  the  cause  of 
the  constant  recurrence  of  chronic  diseases  after  their 
apparent  or  partial  removal  by  the  homoeopathic  rem- 
edy, and  their  recurrence  with  new  and  grave  symp- 
toms, was  that  the  symptoms  manifesting  themselves 
at  any  one  time  were  only  a  portion  of  the  deeply-seated 
fundamental  malady,  whose  great  extent  was  shown 
by  the  new  symptoms  that  appeared  from  time  to  time. 
He  believed  it  to  be  a  chronic  miasm,  which  the  body 
could  not  throw  off  spontaneously  and  unaided,  not  by 
careful  diet  or  regimen,  but  that  it  rather  increased  in 
intensity  and  extent  from  year  to  year. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  77 

"The  most  robust  constitution,  the  best  regulated 
life,  and  the  greatest  energy  of  the  vital  powers,  are 
insufficient  to  extinguish  them."     §  78,  Organon. 

The  Skin  Phase  of  Chronic  Diseases. 

His  further  research  showed  that  the  obstacle  to  the 
cure  seemed  to  lie  in  a  previous  scabious  eruption, 
which  the  patient  frequently  acknowledged  having  had, 
and  from  which  he  often  dated  all  his  sufferings.  He 
believed  that  chronic  diseases  occurred  on  the  suppres- 
sion artificially,  or  disappearance  from  any  cause  of  a 
scabious,  itching,  eruption  from  the  skin  in  otherwise 
healthy  persons.  Itch,  in  Hahnemann's  time,  was  a 
term  which  covered  many  other  affections  besides  the 
one  now  known  as  scabies  or  itch.  This  itch  dyscrasia 
he  called  Psora,  meaning  thereby  the  internal  itch  dis- 
ease, with  or  without  any  present  skin  symptoms.  It 
is  the  source  of  all  varieties  of  skin  diseases,  abnormal 
growths,  tumors,  deformity,  mental  diseases,  etc.  In 
short,  it  is  the  parent  of  all  chronic  diseases,  with  the 
exception  of  venereal  diseases.  It  is  the  oldest,  most 
universal  and  obstinate  of  all  miasmatic  diseases.  The 
leprosy  of  the  Israelites,  the  epidemic  St.  Anthony's 
fire  of  the  middle  ages,  were  but  forms  of  this  taint.  In 
these  forms  the  whole  malignity  seemed  to  be  expended 
on  the  skin.  Greater  cleanliness  and  generally  better 
modes  of  living  have  modified  its  local  manifestations, 
so  that,  at  the  present  day,  it  is  more  in  herpetic  and 
eczematous  diseases  that  we  meet  with  it.  The  readi- 
ness with  which  these  are  suppressed,  the  readiness 
with  which  ordinary  practice  dries  up  discharges  of  all 
kinds,  the  immense  development  of  local  treatment, 
and  the  increase  of  all  kinds  of  specialists,  whose  ten- 
dency is  to  suppress  local  manifestations  of  disease,  has 
driven  this  psora  within  to  more  vital  regions,  and  thus 
has  lead  to  the  great  increase  of  chronic  maladies  that 
afflict  mankind. 


78  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

The  appearance  of  skin  symptoms,  or  discharge  from 
a  mucous  surface,  shows  that  nature  is  making  an 
effort  to  localize  on  the  outskirts  of  the  body  the  mor- 
bid process,  removed  as  far  as  possible  from  the  more 
vital  parts  of  the  organism,  where  it  would  be  much 
more  mischievous.  Therefore,  forcing  it  back  into  the 
interior  by  strong,  local  treatment  must  necessarily 
work  detrimentally  to  a  radical  and  permanent  cure. 

"  Every  external  treatment  of  a  local  symptom  whose 
aim  is  to  extinguish  it  on  the  surface  of  the  body  with- 
out curing  the  internal  miasmatic  disease — such,  for 
example,  as  that  of  destroying  a  psoric  eruption  on  the 
skin  by  means  of  ointments,  healing  up  a  chancre  by 
the  use  of  caustic,  destroying  the  granulations  of 
sycosis  by  ligature,  excision  or  the  application  of  a  hot 
iron — is  not  only  useless,  but  injurious.  This  perni- 
cious method,  in  such  general  use  at  the  present  day, 
is  the  chief  source  of  the  innumerable  chronic  diseases 
that  oppress  the  human  race.  This  is  the  most  crimi- 
nal practice  physicians  can  adopt,  and  it  has,  notwith- 
standing, been  very  generally  practiced  till  the  present 
time,  and  taught,  ex  cathedra,  as  the  only  one.  §  203, 
Organon. 

The  Underlying  Facts  of  the  Psoric  Theory.  With- 
out the  necessity  of  accepting  the  Psoric  doctrine  as  a 
whole,  the  homoeopathic  school  has  found  in  it  an  excel- 
lent working  hypothesis,  and  certain  facts  are  undeni- 
able and  go  far  to  establish  the  essential  truth  of  the 
doctrine.     These  are  the  following: 

1.  In  many  patients,  the  even  and  regular  clinical 
course  of  diseases  is  from  some  course  or  other  within 
themselves  interfered  with. 

2.  Remedies  apparently  indicated  and  chosen  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  similars,  fail  to  accomplish  what, 
as  a  rule,  they  ought. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy. 


3.  This  is  especially  true  of  most  chronic  diseases. 

4.  It  is  a  further  fact  that  frequently  the  suppres- 
sion or  disappearance  of  a  skin  disease  is  followed  by 
serious  mischief  in  more  vital  organs,  as  respiratory 
affections  (asthma),  after  eczema  capitis,  etc.,  showing 
a  reciprocal  relation  between  the  skin  and  internal 
organs. 

It  is  the  presence  of  this  unseen  but  nevertheless  very 
active  and  perturbing  factor  that  accounts  for  these  con- 
ditions. Now,  this  fact  of  recognition  is  the  mark  of 
genius.  The  theory  of  its  precise  nature  is  of  compa- 
ratively little  importance  and  may  or  may  not  be  true. 
That  it  is  nothing  but  suppressed  itch  in  the  narrow 
sense  is  not  true.  That,  however,  suppressed  skin  affec- 
tions in  a  wider  acceptation  than  what  we  now-a-days 
understand  by  itch  are  an  indubitable  factor  in  the  pro- 
duction of  many  forms  of  obstinate  and  occult  chronic 
suffering  far  removed  from  local  skin  manifestation,  is 
an  established  truth.  The  Hahnemannian  conception 
of  Psora  is  a  very  real  thing,  the  Psora  theory  an  in- 
tensely practical  thing  and  that  is  its  passport  to  the 
general  practitioner  whose  aim  is  to  cure  permanently 
rather  than  palliate  and  relieve  for  the  time  being. 
Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  not  to  try  and  define 
the  inner  essence  of  this  dyscrasia.  The  celebrated 
Botanist  Schleiden,  used  to  open  his  lectures  on  Botany 
by  frankly  confessing  that  he  did  not  know  what  a 
plant  was.  So  we  may  not  know  what  Psora  is,  ex- 
cept that  it  consists  of  the  sum  of  all  the  biological 
obstacles  which  resist,  deface,  complicate  and  alter  the 
natural  course  of  diseases  and  interfere  with  the  action 
of  the  apparently  well  selected  homoeopathic  remedy. 
In  this  wider  sense,  as  indicating  cachexia  or  dyscrasia, 
the  Psora  theory  is  founded  in  nature  and  truth. 
Though  Hahnemann's  theory  is  not  proven,  it  is  a  most 
admirable  working  theory,  a  stepping  stone  by  means 


80 


A   COMPEND   OF   THE 


of  which  we  attain  remarkable  results  in  the  treatment 
of  disease. 

Anti-psoric  remedies  are  such  as  show  in  their 
pathogenesis  a  tendency  to  act  from  within  outwards, 
from  above  downwards,  who  thus  abound  in  skin 
symptoms  and  are  deep  and  long-acting  remedies; 
hence,  they  are  of  special  value  in  the  treatment  of 
chronic  disease  and  for  the  eradication  of  inherited 
and  constitutional  disease  tendencies.  They  show  their 
greatest  medicinal  power  in  highly  attenuated  form 
and  do  not  bear  frequent  repetition.  Many  of  them 
are  wholly  inert  in  their  crude  state  and  require  the 
pharmaceutical  processes  of  homoeopathy  to  develop 
their  latent  medicinal  force. 

The  principal  anti-psoric  remedies  are  Sulphur,  Cal- 
carea,  Lycopodium,  Sepia,  Silica,  Natrum  mur.,  Gra- 
phites, Arsenic,  Alumina,  etc.  * 

Hahnemann's  Suggestion  in  Regard  to  Adminis- 
tering Anti-psoric  remedies.     "  The  best  time  for 


'^  The  following  is  Hahnemann's  list  of  anti-psoric  remedies, 
but  there  are  quite  a  number  of  others  that  ought  to  be  included, 
which  have  been  proved  and  introduced  since  his  time: 


Agaricus, 
Alumina, 
Ammon.  carb., 
Ammon.  mur., 
Anacardium, 
Antimon.  crud.. 
Arsenic, 
Aurum, 
Baryta  carb., 
Borax, 

Calcarea  carb., 
Carbo  animalis, 
Carbo  vegetabilis, 
Causticum, 
Clematis, 


Colocynthis, 

Cuprum, 

Digitalis, 

Dulcamara, 

Euphorbium, 

Graphites, 

Guaiacum, 

lodum. 

Kali  carb., 

Kali  nitricum, 

Lycopodium, 

Magnesia  carb., 

Manganum, 

Mezereum, 

Muriatic  acid, 


Natrum  carb., 

Natrum  mur.. 

Nitric  acid. 

Petroleum, 

Phosphorus, 

Phosphoric  acid, 

Platina, 

Sarsaparilla, 

Sepia, 

Silica, 

Stannum, 

Sulphur, 

Sulphuric  acid, 

Zincum. 


Principles  OF  Homceopathy.  81 

taking  a  dose  of  an  anti-psoric  medicine  is  early  in  the 
morning  while  fasting;  no  food  or  drink  should  be 
taken  within  half  an  hour  after.  After  taking  the 
medicine,  the  patient  should  keep  perfectly  quiet  at 
least  a  full  hour,  but  without  going  to  sleep,  avoiding 
mental  exertion  of  any  kind  as  well. 

'^  To  females,  anti-psoric  remedies  should  not  be 
given  immediately  before  or  during  menstruation,  not 
until  four  days  after  the  flow  has  commenced." 

Pregnancy  offers  a  most  favorable  time  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  anti-psoric  remedies,  the  organism 
being  then  in  a  specially  receptive  state  for  the  eradica- 
tion of  chronic  and  inherited  disease  tendencies. 

During  treatment  of  a  chronic  disease,  do  not  inter- 
fere too  readily  with  the  acute  sufferings  that  may  arise 
during  the  treatment.  Often  such  acute  symptoms  are 
really  a  part  of  the  curative  action  and  hence  it  would 
be  unwise  to  interfere  with  their  development. 

Other  Miasms  Recognized  by  Halinemann. 

In  the  Hahnemannian  pathology  of  chronic  diseases, 
besides  psora,  two  other  miasms,  i.  e.  syphilis  and 
sycosis  figure  as  etiological  factors.  The  importance 
and  extent  of  syphilis  as  a  cause  of  a  distinct  miasm 
does  not  differ  as  conceived  by  Hahnemann  from  that 
accepted  by  modern  pathology,  but  sycosis  assumes  a 
distinctive  importance  peculiar  to  homoeopathy. 

Sycosis  is  the  suppression  of  the  gonorrhoeal  poison 
in  the  system.  Its  main  local  manifestation  is  the 
production  of  figwarts  around  the  genital  region,  but 
its  later  constitutional  symptoms  are  not  confined  to 
any  part  of  the.  organism  but  are  a  general  deviation 
of  health. 

Hahnemann  distinguishes  two  kinds  of  gonorrhoea — 
one  comparatively  innocent — a  urethral,  catarrhal  in- 
flammation, and  the  other  the  sycotic  form.  In  regard 
6 


82  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

to  the  more  common  and  comparatively  innocent  form, 
he  says  in  his  "Chronic  Diseases":  "The  miasm  of  the 
other  common  gonorrhoeas  seems  not  to  penetrate  the 
whole  organism,  but  only  to  locally  stimulate  the  uri- 
nary organs.  They  yield  either  to  a  dose  of  one  drop 
of  fresh  parsley-juice,  when  this  is  indicated  by  a  fre- 
quent urgency  to  urinate,  or  a  small  dose  of  Cannabis 
or  Cantharis,  or  of  Copaiva,  according  to  their  different 
constitution  and  the  other  ailments  attending  it. 
These  should,  however,  be  always  used  in  the  higher 
and  highest  dynamizations,  unless  a  psora,  slumbering 
in  the  body  of  the  patient,  has  been  developed  by 
means  of  a  strongly-affecting,  irritating  or  weakening, 
old-school  treatment.  In  such  a  case,  frequently,  sec- 
ondary gonorrhoeas  remain,  which  can  only  be  cured 
by  anti-psoric  treatment." 

The  sycotic  form  of  gonorrhoea  differs  in  being  a 
much  more  serious  matter.  Hahnemann  describes  it 
as  follows:  "The  discharge  is  from  the  beginning 
thickish,  like  pus;  micturition  is  less  difficult,  but  the 
body  of  the  penis  swollen  somewhat  hard;  the  penis  is 
also,  in  some  cases,  covered  on  the  back  with  glandu- 
lar tubercles,  and  very  painful  to  the  touch." 

The  characteristic  features  of  sycosis  are  the  wart- 
like, cauliflower  excresences  around  the  genitals,  soft, 
spongy,  bleeding  easily,  recurring  when  violently  re- 
moved, frequently  emitting  a  specific,  fetid  fluid. 

All  heroic,  external  treatment  is  forbidden,  tending 
to  produce  the  sycotic  diathesis;  only  the  external  use 
of  Thuja  is  permitted.  For  internal  treatment.  Thuja 
is  the  great  anti-sycotic. 

The  violent  suppression  of  a  sycotic,  urethral  dis- 
charge is  often  followed  by  chronic  suffering,  which  is 
characterized  by  peculiar  symptoms  and  conditions, 
among  which  the  following  have  frequently  been 
observed : 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  83 

Symptoms  of  Suppressed  Sycosis.  Great  muscular 
debility-  is  the  most  characteristic  physical  sign ;  anx- 
iety; anguish;  fear  of  associating  with  strangers;  going 
into  a  crowd;  great  irritability;  dysmenorrhcea,  before, 
during  and  after  flow,  with  great  debility;  sterility;  in- 
flammation of  the  Fallopian  tubes,  ovaries;  neurasthe- 
nia; asthma;  bronchial  affections;  distorted  finger 
nails,  eruption  in  the  palms  of  the  hands;  dryness  of 
the  hair,  etc.;  rheumatism  setting  in  shortly  after  the 
suppression  of  the  discharge  or  remova^l  of  the  warts; 
ankle  and  knee  are  specially  affected;  pains  worse  be- 
fore a  storm  and  during  the  day. 

Eradicative  Possibilities  of  Anti-psoric  Treatment. 

The  greatest  evil  of  these  miasms,  is  that  they  are 
made  organic  and  rendered  permanent  by  heredity.  It 
is  this  fact  of  heredity  and  the  pollution  of  the  vital 
fluids  *  entailed  thereby  that  modifies  not  only  the 
course  of  acute  diseases,  but  establishes  and  makes  a 
permanent  field  for  chronic  diseases.  This  hereditary 
gift  and  this  organized  field  give  rise  to  certain  bodily 
constitutions  and  certain  dyscrasic  conditions.  Acute 
diseases  and  possibly  the  action  of  remedies  run  their 
course  in  the  track  marked  out  by  these  bodily  constitu- 
tions, which  again  are  largely  modified  by  the  latent 
psoric  taint. 

Every  practitioner  of  experience  arrives  sooner  or 
later  at  this  fact — namely,  that  in  order  to  get  a  true 
and  practical  understanding  of  diseases,  the  ground, 
the  human  organization  modified  more  or  less  by 
heredity,  upon  which  ground  diseases  feed,  and  which 
is  the  battlefield  of  the  malignant  forces  of  disease  from 

*  "  The  vaccinated  syphilis  of  one  organism  passing  into 
another,  ncay  not  manifest  itself  by  eruption,  or  chancre  or  visible 
syphilitic  taint  at  all,  but  may  fall  upon  the  nervous  life  and  be  a 
raging  and  unappeasable  lust  in  afterlife." — J.  J.  Garth  Wilkinson. 


84  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

without  combining  with  the  impurities  within,  the  char- 
acter of  this  ground  must  be  studied;  for,  according  to 
its  composition,  it  will  certainly  modify  one  way  or 
another  the  course  of  diseases  that  from  time  to  time 
invade  it.  The  presence  of  this  modifying  something — 
this  perturbing  and  yet  determining  factor — this  psoric 
taint,  was  recognized  by  Hahnemann.  His  facts  are 
true;  his  theory,  true  or  not,  is,  nevertheless,  an  admir- 
able working  theory,  leading  to  remarkable,  successful 
results. 

Pre-natal  Treatment  by  Means  of  Anti-psoric  Rem- 
edies. This  is  a  peculiar  field  for  Homoeopathy.  By 
means  of  the  deeply-acting  anti-psoric  remedies,  the 
lower  strata  of  perverted  life  where  it  first  establishes 
itself  in  impurities  in  the  finest  fibres  and  cellular 
structures,  can  be  restored.  Medicines  chosen  wisely 
and  given  to  the  expectant  mother,  can  benefit  the 
coming  child.  Frequently,  with  the  indicated  remedy, 
anatomical  and  structural  deficiencies — as  cleft  palate, 
hare  lip,  eczema,  etc. — can  be  prevented  in  families 
where  such  have  appeared,  because  the  taint  that  gave 
rise  to  them  in  former  pregnancies  has  been  neutral- 
ized by  the  timely  administration  of  the  homoeopathic 
anti-psoric  remedies. 

Suggestions  for  the  Treatment  of  Chronic  Diseases. 

1.  Before  beginning  the  treatment  of  a  chronic  dis- 
ease, it  is  necessary  to  inquire  carefully  if  the  patient 
has  been  infected  by  venereal  disease,  and,  if  so,  to  in- 
stitute treatment  against  such  infection;  but  more  fre- 
quently it  will  be  found  that  psora  complicates  the  case. 

2.'  Ascertain,  also,  the  nature  of  medical  treatment 
that  the  patient  had  received,  either  from  drugs  or 
mineral  baths,  etc.,  in  order  to  understand  the  devia- 
tions which  this  treatment  had  produced  in  the  origi- 
nal disease. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  85 

3.  Patient's  age,  mode  of  living,  diet,  occupation, 
domestic  circumstances,  and  even  his  social  position, 
should  be  considered,  in  order  to  see  how  the  cure  may- 
be favored  or  impeded  thereby. 

4.  Patient's  mental  condition  and  temperament 
should  not  be  overlooked,  as  it  may  be  necessary  to 
direct  or  modify  his  mental  state  by  psychical  means. 

5.  Several  interviews  may  be  necessary  before  the 
physician  will  find  himself  enabled  to  determine  the 
state  of  the  patient's  case  as  perfectly  as  possible,  and 
to  mark  the  most  conspicuous,  characteristic  or  peculiar 
symptoms,  which  alone  will  guide  him  to  the  first  anti- 
psoric,  anti-syphilitic  or  anti-sycotic  remedy  for  the 
beginning  of  the  cure.     §§  206-209,  Organon.  * 

Partial  Diseases  and  Local  Affections.  Diseases 
presenting  an  insufficient  number  of  symptoms,  usu- 
ally only  one  or  two  prominent  ones,  though  compara- 
tively rare,  are  met  with.  Here,  the  first  selected  rem- 
edy will  only  be  partially  adopted  and  will,  therefore, 
excite  accessory  symptoms,  which,  however,  are  not 
wholly  due  to  the  remedy  given,  but  were  latent,  and 
the  remedy  served  to  arouse  them;  therefore,  the  new 
totality  of  symptoms  will  enable  the  prescriber  to  dis- 
cover the  truly  indicated  remedy.   Organon,  §§  172-184. 

The  so-called  local  affections  occupy  a  prominent 
place  among  partial  diseases.  The  term  is  applied  to 
diseased  conditions  appearing  upon  external  parts,  and 
are  mostly  of  recent  origin  and  caused  by  external 
injury.  Affections  of  external  parts,  requiring  me- 
chanical skill,  properly  belong  to  surgery  alone;  as, 
for  instance,  when  external  impediments  are  to  be  re- 
moved that  prevent  the  vital  force  from  accomplishing 

*  See,  also,  Hahnemann's  Golden  Kule,  page  93,  and  "Chronic 
Diseases,"  page  125. 


8f)  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

the  cure,  as  the  opening  of  cavities,  either  for  the  re- 
moval of  cumbersome  substances,  or  to  form  an  outlet 
to  effusions,  etc.     §§  185-6,  Organon. 

Besides  the  local  affections,  requiring  surgical  and 
mechanical  treatment,  there  are  local  affections  that 
proceed  from  an  internal  morbid  state.  Such  involve 
the  entire  state  of  health  of  the  whole  organism,  since 
all  its  parts  are  so  intimately  connected  as  to  form  an 
indivisible  whole  in  feelings  and  functions;  hence,  all 
curative  measures  should  be  planned,  with  reference 
to  the  state  of  the  whole  system  and  by  means  of  in- 
ternal remedies.  This  is  done  most  effectually  by 
including  the  record  of  the  exact  state  of  the  local 
disease  to  every  other  change  that  is  perceptible  in  the 
state  of  the  patient.  All  these  symptoms  ought  to  be 
united  in  one  perfect  image  and  a  remedy  chosen 
according  to  this  true  totality.     Organon,  §§  190-193. 

Objections  to  Local  Application  of  a  Medicine 
Simultaneously  with  its  Internal  Use.  It  may  seem 
as  if  such  a  practice  were  conducive  to  more  rapid  im- 
provement, but  it  is  objectionable  in  local  affections 
dependent  on  some  chronic  miasm,  on  account  of  the 
more  rapid  disappearance  of  the  local  phase  than  of 
the  internal  disease.  This  often  leads  to  the  decep- 
tive impression  that  a  perfect  cure  has  been  accom- 
plished. 

The  local  application  of  non-homceopathic  rem- 
edies renders  the  case  even  more  difficult.  Local 
symptoms  should  not  be  obliterated  by  caustics,  es- 
charotics,  or  by  excision,  since  thereby  the  symptoms 
necessary  for  a  choice  of  a  curative  remedy  are  ob- 
scured, and,  also,  the  chief  evidences  of  a  permanent 
cure  are  taken  away;  for,  if  the  local  symptoms  disap- 
pear after  the  administration  of  the  homoeopathic  rem- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  87 

edy,  we  have  established  evidence  of  the  achievement 
of  a  radical  cure  and  of  complete  recovery  from  the 
general  disease.     §§  196-200,  Organon. 

The  Local  Disease  is  Nature's  Effort  to  Relieve  by 
Derivation.  ''  When  the  system  is  affected  with  some 
chronic  disease  which  threatens  to  destroy  vital  organs 
and  life  itself,  and  which  does  not  yield  to  the  sponta- 
neous efforts  of  the  vital  force,  this  endeavors  to  quiet 
the  inner  disease,  and  to  avert  the  danger  by  substi- 
tuting and  maintaining  a  local  disease  on  some  exter- 
nal part  of  the  body,  whither  the  internal  disease  is 
transferred  by  derivation.  In  this  way,  the  local  affec- 
tion for  a  time  arrests  the  internal  evil,  without,  how- 
ever, being  able  to  cure  it,  or  to  lessen  it  essentially. 
The  fontanels  of  the  old  school  have  a  similar  effect, 
in  the  form  of  artificial  ulcers  upon  external  parts; 
they  soothe  internal  chronic  complaints,  but  without 
curing  them." 

Nevertheless,  the  local  malady  is  never  anything 
more  than  a  part  of  the  general  disease,  but  it  is  a  part 
which  has  become  excessively  developed  in  one  direc- 
tion by  the  vital  force,  and  transported  to  the  surface 
of  the  body  where  there  is  less  danger,  in  order  to  les- 
sen the  internal  morbid  process.     §  201,  Organon. 

The  mental  state  and  temperament  of  the  patient 

are  often  of  most  decisive  importance  in  the  homoeo- 
pathic selection  of  a  remedy,  and  should  never  escape 
the  accurate  observation  of  the  physician,  as  the  state  of 
mind  is  always  modified  in  so-called  physical  diseases. 

Mental  Diseases  and  their  Treatment.  Most  of 
them  are  in  reality  bodily  diseases.  Certain  mental 
and  emotional  symptoms  are  peculiar  to  every  bodily 
disease;  these  symptoms  develop  more  or  less  rapidly, 
and  become  predominant  over  all  other  symptoms,  and 
are  finally  transferred,  like  a  local  disease,  into   the 


88  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

invisibly  fine  organs  of  the  mind,  where,  by  their  pres- 
ence, they  seem  to  obscure  the  bodily  symptoms. 

In  regard  to  the  totality  of  symptoms  of  a  case  of 
this  kind,  all  physical  symptoms  which  prevailed  before 
the  disease  assumed  the  mental  form  are  very  essential. 
Comparison  between  these  early  symptoms  and  their 
present  indistinct  remnants,  which  may  occasionally 
appear  during  lucid  intervals  or  during  transient  ame- 
lioration of  the  mental  disease,  will  show  the  continu- 
ance of  the  physical  disease,  although  obscured.  Study 
§§  214-220,  Organon. 

Acute  insanity,  even  though  due  to  latent  psora, 
should  not  be  treated  with  anti-psoric  remedies  at  once, 
but  met  with  remedies  like  Aconite,  Belladonna,  etc., 
in  highly  attenuated  doses.  After  such  treatment, 
anti-psoric  remedies,  with  well  regulated  diet  and 
habits,  will  do  the  rest.  In  the  treatment  of  insanity, 
the  medicines  may  be  given  mixed  with  the  patient's 
usual  drink,  without  his  knowledge,  thus  obviating 
every  kind  of  compulsion.  Study  §§  221-231,  Organon, 
in  this  connection. 

Intermittent  and  alternating  diseases  are  such  as 
return  at  certain  periods,  or  where  certain  morbid  con- 
ditions alternate  with  each  other.  Such  are  mostly  a 
product  of  developed  psora. 

The  symptoms  which  mark  the  condition  of  the 
patient  during  the  period  of  intermission  should  chiefly 
be  taken  as  guides  in  selecting  the  most  striking  homoe- 
opathic remedy. 

In  intermittents,  besides  the  importance  of  the  apy- 
rexia  as  offering  most  guiding  symptoms  for  the  selec- 
tion of  the  remedy,  the  stage  which  is  most  prominent 
and  peculiar  should  next  be  considered.  The  best  time 
to  administer  the  remedy  is  a  short  time  after  the  ter- 
mination of  the  paroxysm,  when  the  patient  has  par- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  <s9 

tially  recovered  from  it.  The  vital  force  is  then  in  the 
most  favorable  condition  to  be  modified  by  medicine 
and  restored  to  healthy  action.  Anti-psoric  remedies 
will  generally  be  required  after  other  remedies  corre- 
sponding to  the  special  type  of  fever  have  failed  to 
bring  about  a  perfect  cure.    Study  §§  231-244,  Organon. 

For  further  study,  consult  — 

"Hahnemann's  Chronic  Diseases,"  translated  by  Prof.  L. 
Tafel. 

"Hahnemann's  Chronic  Diseases,"  by  C.  L.  Swift,  M.D.,  in 
Homceopathic  Physician,  February,  1885. 

"Sycosis,"  by  F.  S.  Keith,  M.D.,  in  Homoeopathic  Physician, 
May,  1895. 

"Procedure  in  the  Treatment  of  Inactive,  Progressive  Chronic 
Diseases,"  by  T.  J.  Kent,  in  Hahnemannian  Advocate,  July,  1896. 

C.  W.  Wolf:  "Homoeopatische  Erfahrungen.  Die  Grundver- 
giftung  der  Mensch  heit."    Berlin,  F.  A.  Herbig,  1860. 

Dudgeon:  " Lectures  on  Homoeopathy."  Lectures  IX  and  X. 
"  The  Doctrine  of  Chronic  Diseases."  These  give  an  historical 
account  of  the  development  of  the  doctrine  and  the  views  of  the 
older  homoeopathists  in  regard  to  it. 


90  A   COMPEND    OF   THE 


CHAPTER  XL 

POSOLOGY. 

By  posology  {posos-how  much)  is  meant  the  science 
of  dosage.  By  doses  are  meant  the  quantities  of  drugs 
that  are  required  to  produce  effects  on  the  body  whether 
the  body  is  in  a  state  of  disease  or  normal  health.  In 
order  to  produce  the  direct  effects  of  drugs,  a  definite 
quantity  within  a  certain  range  is  requisite.  This  can 
only  be  determined  by  experiment  and  experience,  and 
differs  according  to  the  age,  temperament  and  state  of 
health  of  the  subject.  It  is  known  as  the  physiological 
dose.  This  use  of  drugs  by  means  of  a  definite  physio- 
logical dosage  has  nothing  to  do  with  their  homoeo- 
pathic use. 

Different  Effects  Between  Large  and  Small  Doses. 

Homoeopathy  discovered  the  fact  that  there  is  an  oppo- 
sition in  effects  between  very  large  and  small  doses.  A 
teaspoonful  of  wine  of  Ipecac,  causes  sickness  and 
vomiting,  while  drop  doses  cure  the  same.  Large 
doses  of  Opium  bind  up  the  bowels,  while  a  small  dose 
has  the  opposite  effect.  Large  doses  of  Bryonia  act  as 
a  drastic,  while  small  have  a  tendency  to  promote  a 
torpid  state  of  the  intestines.  This  physiological  anta- 
gonism between  large  and  small  doses  of  drugs  is  one 
explanation  made  use  of  in  regard  to  the  homoeopathic 
law. 

Reasons  for  the    difference    in    Dosage   between 
Drugs  chosen  Homoeopath ically  and  Antipathically. 

The  reason  is  found  in  the  fact  of  the  bodily  resistance 
which  must  be  overcome  by  the  drug  before  it  can 
manifest  its  action.  Every  living  organism  is  in  the 
constant  effort  to  keep  itself  intact — automatically  and 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  91 

unconsciously  to  the  individual.  This  protecting 
sphere  of  its  distinctive  life  offers  resistance  to  any- 
foreign  intruder,  which  bodily  resistance  to  everything 
that  tends  to  disturb  its  health  must  be  overcome  first 
of  all  before  the  drug  can  manifest  its  peculiar  power. 
The  physiological  dose  of  any  drug,  therefore,  must 
be  large  enough  (1)  to  overcome  the  normal  body  re- 
sistance; (2)  sufficiently  more  to  produce  symptoms. 

Reasons  Why  the  Homoeopathic  Dose  is  Neces- 
sarily Smaller.  Because  here  no  bodily  resistance  has 
to  be  encountered,  since  a  similar  action  is  already 
existing  in  certain  organs  and  tissues,  the  disease  hav- 
ing overcome  the  resistance  offered  by  the  protective 
sphere  of  the  body,  and  thus  the  affected  region  is  ex- 
posed to  attacks  fiom  without.  The  homoeopathic 
remedy  acts  upon  the  very  tracts  involved,  and  since 
the  protecting  gates  are  down,  a  much  smaller  dose  is 
required.  Another  reason  is  the  fact  that  the  affected 
parts  are  probably  rendered  hypersensitive  by  the  dis- 
ease process.  This  is  seen  daily  in  every  direction. 
Take  a  healthy  eye,  and  it  receives  the  rays  of  light 
and  responds  thereto;  but  let  the  same  eye  be  inflamed, 
and  see  how  exquisitely  sensitive  it  becomes  to  other- 
wise natural  stimuli.  A  third  reason  is  that  the 
homoeopathic  remedy  is  given  singly,  without  admix- 
ture with  other  drugs;  and  hence,  its  action  is  not 
interfered  with. 

Aggravation  follows  sometimes  even  a  Minute 
Homoeopathic  Dose.  If  so,  it  indicates  that  either  the 
dose  selected  is  still  too  strong,  and  in  that  case  other 
symptoms  will  probably  appear,  or  the  remedy  chosen 
was  perfectly  homoeopathic  to  the  case  and  the  aggra- 
vation would  be  but  very  temporary  and  would  be  in 
itself  the  best  possible  indication  to  do  nothing  further 
hut  icait. 


92  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

Should  aggravation  follow  a  certain  dose,  it  is  a  good 
rule  to  go  higher  in  the  scale  of  potency. 

Historical    Development    of    the    Homceopathic 

Dose.  At  first,  Hahnemann  prescribed  the  usual  doses 
( Ipecac,  five  grains,  Nux  four  grains,  Cinchona  Bark 
one  to  two  drams),  he  soon  found  that  aggravation 
would  follow  such  dosage,  if  they  were  chosen  accord- 
ing to  the  similar  relationship  to  the  diseased  process. 
This  led  him  naturally  enough  to  a  reduction  of 
dosage,  and  as  he  obtained  equally  good  or  better  re- 
sults, he  kept  on  decreasing  the  amount.  Yet  the 
transition  from  the  crude  dosage  to  comparative  infinit- 
esimal quantities  was  quite  sudden,  within  one  year 
from  1798  to  1799,  he  advocated  both.  For  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  Hahnemann  gave  his  remedies  in  vary- 
ing potencies,  seldom  as  high  as  the  thirtieth  potency,* 
more  frequently  between  the  first  and  twelfth  potency, 
sometimes  descending  to  more  material  quantities. 

But  after  he  had  incorporated  the  psora  theory  into 
his  doctrinal  edifice,  he  fixed  upon  the  thirtieth  potency 
as  the  uniform  standard  for  the  dose  of  all  remedies. 
This  was  to  be  given  in  globules  saturated  and  subse- 
quently dried.  He  desired  uniformity  among  homoeo- 
pathists,  "and  when  they  describe  a  cure,  we  can  re- 
peat it,  as  they  and  we  operate  with  the  same  tools. 
Thus  our  enemies  will  not  be  able  to  reproach  us  with 
having  no  fixed  normal  standard."  And  at  the  same 
time,  he  disapproved  of  attenuations  beyond  the 
thirtieth  in  these  words:  "There  must  be  some  end  to 
the  thing,  it  cannot  go  on  to  infinity." 

Whatever  the  size  of  a  dose  of  a  homoeopathic 
remedy,  there  is  one  point  which  must  characterize  it, 
i.  e.,  it  must  be  sub-physiological,  that  is,  just  short  of 
producing  symptoms. 

*  See  chapter  on  the  preparation  of  medicines. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  93 

Hahnemann's  recommendation  of  the  thirtieth  po- 
tency as  the  dose  for  all  remedies  and  cases  has  not 
been  followed  by  the  school,  and  rightly  so,  because  it 
is  wholly  arbitary  and  unphilosophical  to  adopt  one 
potency  for  all  drugs.  The  physician  must  here,  as  in 
the  selection  of  the  remedy,  learn  to  individualize. 

Repetition  of  Doses.  Hahnemann's  latest  teach- 
ings were  to  give  but  one  dose,  and  await  its  full 
action.  There  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  this  ad- 
vice in  the  treatment  of  chronic  diseases.  No  doubt 
young  physicians  repeat  their  remedy  too  often  and 
change  too  frequently.  Too  frequent  repetition  of 
doses  frets  the  system  and  hinders  the  cure.  The  safest 
general  rules,  based  upon  firm  adherence  to  the  law 
and  practiced  by  the  closest  prescribers  are  the  fol- 
lowing: 

1.  Give  one  remedy  at  a  time — the  one  most  clearly 
indicated  by  the  totality  of  symptoms. 

2.  Give  it  preferably  at  first  in  a  medium  potency 
with  a  tendency  to  go  higher. 

3.  So  long  as  improvement  shows  itself,  do  not 
change  the  remedy,  and  better  also,  do  not  repeat  the 
dose.  Learn  to  wait,  for  so  long  as  the  disease  does  not 
progress  any  further,  after  giving  the  medicine,  there 
is  no  danger  in  waiting,  not  until  new  indications 
appear. 

4.  In  acute  diseases,  the  doses  may  have  to  be  re- 
peated frequently,  according  to  the  intensity  and 
severity  of  the  case;  as  a  rule  every  hour  or  two  is 
often  enough,  and  in  most  acute,  as  often  as  every  five 
to  ten  minutes  may  be  necessary,  but  all  medication 
should  cease  with  commencing  improvement. 

The  following  golden  rule  is  given  by  Hahnemann 
in  his  Chronic  Diseases,  page  156: 


94    .  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

"  The  whole  cure  fails  if  the  anti-psoric  remedies, 
which  have  been  prescribed  for  the  patient,  are  not 
permitted  to  act  uninterruptedly  to  the  end.  Even  if 
the  second  anti-psoric  should  have  been  selected  with 
the  greatest  care,  it  cannot  replace  the  loss  which  the 
rash  haste  of  the  physician  has  inflicted  on  the  patient. 
The  benign  action  of  the  former  remedy  which  was 
about  manifesting  its  most  beautiful  and  most  surpris- 
ing results,  is  probably  lost  to  the  patient  forever." 

In  Organon,  §§  247-8,  Hahnemann  says:  "These 
periods  are  always  to  be  determined  by  the  more  or  less 
acute  course  of  the  disease  and  by  the  nature  of  the 
remedy  employed.  The  dose  of  the  same  medicine  is 
to  be  repeated  several  times,  if  necessary,  but  only 
until  recovery  ensues,  or  until  the  remedy  ceases  to  pro- 
duce improvement.^^     Consult,  also,  §§  249-252. 

Also,  in  note  to  §  246,  Hahnemann  emphatically 
teaches  that  the  homoeopathic  physician  is  to  admin- 
ister but  one  most  minute  dose  at  a  time,  and  to  allow 
this  dose  to  act  and  to  terminate  its  action.  And  he 
holds  that  the  best  dose  is  the  smallest  in  one  of  the 
high  potencies  (the  thirtieth)  for  chronic  as  well  as 
acute  diseases.  But,  in  many  forms  of  disease,  a  single 
dose  is  insufficient;  and  "  hence,  it  may  undoubtedly 
be  found  necessary  to  administer  several  doses  of  the 
same  medicine,  for  the  purpose  of  altering,  pathogenet- 
ically,  the  vital  force  to  such  an  extent,  and  to  raise 
its  curative  reaction  to  such  a  degree,  as  to  enable  it  to 
extinguish  completely  an  entire  portion  of  the  original 
disease." 

In  §  245,  Hahnemann  gives  this  general  rule:  "Per- 
ceptible and  continued  progress  of  improvement,  in  an 
acute  or  chronic  disease,  is  a  condition  which,  as  long 
as  it  lasts,  invariably  counter-indicates  the  repetition 
of  any  medicine  whatever,  because  the  beneficial  effect 
which  the  medicine  continues  to  exert  is  rapidly  ap- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  95 

preaching  its  perfection.  Under  these  circumstances, 
every  new  dose  of  any  medicine  would  disturb  the  pro- 
cess of  recovery."* 

The  period  between  the  early  dosage  of  Hahnemann 
and  this  final  designation  of  the  thirtieth  potency,  as 
the  standard  covered  about  twenty-five  years.  He 
now  entered  upon  an  entirely  new  conception  of  drugs, 
as  embodied  medicinal  forces,  which  could  be  practi- 
cally separated  from  their  material  particles  and  im- 
parted by  means  of  his  peculiar  pharmaceutical  proce- 
dures to  inert  substances — hence,  the  development  of 

The  Theory  of  Dynamization.  The  process  of  suc- 
cussion  and  trituration  is  now  said  to  result,  not  only 
in  a  thorough  mechanical  admixture,  but  in  ''  a  real 
spiritualization  of  the  dynamic  property — a  true,  as- 
tonishing unveiling  and  vivifying  of  the  medicinal 
spirit."  And  Hahnemann  looked  upon  this  process 
as  "among  the  greatest  discoveries  of  the  age." 

Hahnemann  distinguishes  carefully  between  dilu- 
tions, or  attenuations,  and  homoeopathic  dynamizations. 
While  the  former  are  solutions,  retaining  less  and  less 
of  the  distinctive  physical  properties,  in  the  proportion 

*  "In  dealing  with  so  complex  an  organism  as  the  human 
body,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  such  definite  rules  have  not 
been  found  invariably  to  hold  good.  When  we  consider  the  mani- 
fold varieties  of  constitution,  the  different  degrees  of  excitability, 
and  the  peculiar  idiosyncrasies  that  are  met  with,  it  would  appear 
highly  improbable  that  any  absolute  law  of  universal  application 
would  be  found  to  meet  all  contingencies.  This  is  borne  out  by 
the  evidence  furnished  by  the  fact  that  the  greatest  diversity  of 
opinion  nowadays  prevails  as  to  the  question  of  the  dose  and  its 
repetition.  .  .  .  The  question  remains,  to  a  great  extent,  un- 
settled, and  the  ideas  of  many,  with  regard  to  it,  differ  considerably 
from  those  of  the  earlier  homoeopathists.  Observation  and  experi- 
ence, however,  will,  without  doubt,  lead  ultimately  to  more  definite 
lines  of  guidance." — Edmund  Cappeb,  M.  D.,  Journal  of  British 
Homceopathic  Society,  January,  1895. 


96  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

that  they  are  mixed  with  the  diluting  vehicle,  the  lat- 
ter he  deems  real  potentiation  of  the  medicinal  force 
inherent  in  drugs.  This  he  clearly  teaches  in  the  pref- 
ace to  the  fifth  volume  of  his  "Chronic  Diseases,"  as 
follows:  "Homoeopathic  dynamizations  are  processes 
by  which  the  medicinal  properties,  which  are  latent  in 
natural  substances  while  in  their  crude  state,  become 
aroused,  and  then  become  enabled  to  act  in  an  almost 
spiritual  manner  on  our  life — i.  e.,  on  our  sensible  and 
irritable  fibre.  This  development  of  the  properties  of 
crude,  natural  substances  (dynamization)  takes  place, 
as  I  have  before  taught,  in  the  case  of  dry  substances, 
by  means  of  trituration  in  a  mortar;  but,  in  the  case 
of  fluid  substances,  by  means  of  shaking  or  succession, 
which  is  also  a  trituration.  These  preparations  cannot 
be  simply  designated  as  solutions,  although  every 
preparation  of  this  kind,  in  order  that  it  may  be  raised 
to  a  higher  potency — i.  e.,  in  order  that  the  medicinal 
properties  still  latent  within  it  may  be  yet  farther 
awakened  and  developed,  must  first  undergo  a  further 
attenuation,  in  order  that  the  trituration  or  succussion 
may  enter  still  further  into  the  very  essence  of  the 
medicinal  substance,  and  may  thus  also  liberate  and 
expose  the  more  subtle  part  of  the  medicinal  powers 
that  lie  hidden  more  deeply,  which  could  not  be  effected 
by  any  amount  of  trituration  and  succussion  of  the 
substances  in  their  concentrated  form." 

Nevertheless,  Hahnemann  recognized  the  improba- 
bility of  any  separation  of  matter  and  force;  hence,  in 
a  note  to  §  280,  he  calls  attention  to  the  truth  "  that  a 
substance  divided  into  ever  so  many  parts  must  still 
contain  in  its  smallest  conceivable  parts  always  some 
of  this  substance,  and  that  the  smallest  conceivable 
part  does  not  cease  to  be  some  of  this  substance  and 
cannot  possibly  become  nothing." 

Possibly  the  radiant  state  of  matter,  as  described  by 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  97 

Faraday  and  Crookes,  may  give  point  to  an  explana- 
tion of  the  process  of  dynamization,  and  of  the  value 
of  succussion,  even  without  dilution,  as  mentioned  by 
Hahnemann  in  the  following  extract  note  to  §  270: 
"  I  dissolved  a  grain  of  soda  in  half  an  ounce  of  water, 
mixed  with  alcohol  in  a  vial,  which  was  thereby  filled 
two-thirds  full,  and  shook  this  solution  continuously 
for  half  an  hour,  and  this  fluid  was  in  potency  and 
energy  equal  to  the  thirtieth  development  of  power." 

If  this  be  really  so,  the  development  of  power  must 
be  due  to  succussion,  some  of  the  particles  having  been 
put  into  their  radiant  state  of  energy. 

Hahnemann  went  further  in  some  directions  than 
any  of  his  followers.  His  practice  of  olfaction  is  proba- 
bly without  any  followers  at  present.  In  §  288  of  the 
Organon,  he  mentions  it  as  follows: 

"  It  is  especially  in  the  form  of  vapor,  by  olfaction 
and  inhalation  of  the  medicinal  aura  that  is  always 
emanating  from  a  globule  impregnated  with  a  medici- 
nal fluid  in  a  high  development  of  power,  and  placed 
dry  in  a  small  vial,  that  the  homoeopathic  remedies 
act  most  surely  and  most  powerfully." 

While  this  may  be  true  theoretically,  the  practice  of 
the  school  has  not  availed  itself  of  it  to  any  extent  and 
it  is  but  fair  to  know  that  the  suggestion  for  this  practice 
sprung  from  a  desire  to  evade  the  unjust  laws  prohibi- 
ting physicians  to  dispense  their  own  medicines,  for 
Hahnemann  suggests  in  a  letter  to  one  of  his  disciples 
in  regard  to  this  subject:  "  The  physician  would  give 
neither  powders  himself  or  prescribe  them  from  the 
drug  shops."  * 

Hahnemann's  Reasons  why  the  Sceptic  Ridicules 
these  Homoeopathic  Attenuations.  First,  because  he 
is  ignorant  that  by  means  of  such  triturations,  the  in- 

*Life  of  Hahnemann,  page  458. 

7 


98  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

ternal  medicinal  power  is  wonderfully  developed  and 
is  as  it  were  liberated  from  its  material  bonds,  so  as  to 
enable  it  to  operate  more  penetratingly  and  more  freely 
upon  the  human  organism.  Secondly,  because  his  purely 
arithmetical  mind  believes  that  it  sees  here  only  an  in- 
stance of  enormous  subdivision,  a  mere  material  divi- 
sion and  diminution,  wherein  every  part  must  be  less 
than  the  whole,  as  every  child  knows;  but  he  does  not 
observe,  that  in  these  spiritualizations  of  the  internal 
medicinal  power,  the  material  receptacle  of  these 
natural  forces,  the  palpable  ponderable  matter,  is  not 
to  be  taken  into  consideration  at  all;  thirdly,  because 
the  sceptic  has  no  experience  relative  to  the  action  of 
preparations  of  such  exalted  medical  power.  (Hahne- 
mann in  Lesser  Writings,  p.  734.) 

For  fiirther  study  consult  — 

"A  Complete  Historical  Review  of  Hahnemann's  Posology," 
by  T.  L.  Bradford,  M.D.,  in  his  "Life  of  Hahnemann,"  Chapters 
LXXXII-V. 

Dudgeon's  Lectures,  Chapters  XII-XVI,  on  Dynamization  and 
Homoeopathic  Posology,  in  which  the  opinions  of  the  older  repre- 
sentative Homceopathists  are  given. 

J.  M.  Selfridge,  M.D.:  "Infinitesimals  from  a  Scientific  Stand- 
point," in  Homcmpathic  Physician,  February,  1896. 

Also,  the  chapter  on  Hahnemann's  Philosophy,  page  109. 


Peinciples  of  Homceopathy.  99 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  PREPARATION  OF  HOMCEOPATHIC 
MEDICINES. 

Pharmacy  is  the  art  of  preparing  drugs  for  use,  and 
dispensing  them  as  medicines.  The  method  of  prepar- 
ing medicines  for  homoeopathic  use  differs  in  many 
essential  details  from  that  of  the  old  school. 

Pharmacopceia.  This  is  an  authoritative  list  of  drugs 
and  their  preparations  recognized  and  used  by  the  pro- 
fession, and  which  have  thus  become  oflScinal.  At 
present  we  have  in  homoeopathy  three  pharmacopoeias: 
the  British,  the  German  and  the  American,  not  differ- 
ering  greatly.  The  American  Institute  of  Homoeopa- 
thy has  a  committee  at  work  on  a  new  and  authorita- 
tive work,  which  will  be  published  shortly,  and  will 
unquestionably  be  the  future  authority  in  the  homoeo- 
pathic school. 

Medicines.  The  medicines  used  in  homoeopathic 
practice,  and  included  in  its  pharmacopoeia,  are  taken 
from  all  the  kingdoms  of  nature,  and  include  most  of 
the  drugs  used  by  the  old  school  and  many  others  not 
recognized  and  known  there  as  possessing  any  medici- 
nal virtues.  The  pharmaceutical  processes  of  homoe- 
opathy are  characterized  by  a  marvelous  simplicity 
and  perfection  requiring  the  greatest  nicety  and  care, 
so  that  the  designation  homoeopathic  has  actually  come 
to  mean  a  special  degree  of  fineness  of  quality. 

Essential  Conditions  for  Preparing  Homoeopathic 
Medicines.  Accuracy  is  the  basis  of  every  procedure. 
Make  up  your  mind  beforehand  to  do  everything  right 
or  not  at  all. 


100  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

Cleanliness.  Be  exquisitely  clean  and  have  vials, 
corks  and  everything  necessary  of  the  finest  quality. 
Under  no  condition  use  the  same  vial  or  cork  for  two 
different  preparations,  or  potencies,  even  of  the  same 
drug.  No  amount  of  cleansing  will  make  them  fit  for 
different  homoeopathic  preparations.  Absolute  cleanli- 
ness of  utensils  and  instruments  and  person  is  essential. 

Conscientious  care  in  selecting,  handling  and  storing 
drugs.  Keep  them  from  contact  with  each  other;  pro- 
tect them  from  vapors,  odors,  dust;  store  them  in  cool, 
dry,  airy,  darkened,  pure  place. 

Drugs  for  homoeopathic  use  are  taken  from  the 
three  kingdoms  of  nature;  they  are  either  in  a  liquid 
state  or  dry,  soluble  or  insoluble.  In  order  to  convert 
these  drugs  into  homoeopathic  medicines,  which  shall 
contain  all  the  medicinal  powers  inherent  in  the  crude 
substances,  and  in  such  a  state  as  will  secure  their 
ready  and  complete  assimilation  by  the  organism,  three 
different  processes  are  made  use  of,  trituration,  solution, 
and  attenuation,  and  three  vehicles  or  menstrua  are 
employed  for  that  purpose — sugar  of  milk,  water,  and 
alcohol. 

The  Menstrua  Used  in  Homoeopathic  Pharmacy. 

Sugar  of  milk  (Saccharum  lactis  or  Lactose).  A 
product  of  animal  life,  one  of  the  constituents  of  milk, 
obtained  by  evaporating  the  whey  of  the  milk.  It  is 
of  pure  white  color,  faintly  sweet  taste,  should  be  odor- 
less and  non-hygroscopic.  For  homoeopathic  use,  ought 
to  be  re-crystallized,  as  the  ordinary  product  of  the 
shops  is  not  always  perfectly  pure.  It  must  be  kept  in 
a  dry  place,  as  it  becomes  musty  when  exposed  to 
dampness.  The  marvelous  sagacity  of  Hahnemann  is 
seen  in  his  selection  of  sugar  of  milk  for  the  process  of 
triturating  mineral  drugs.  No  other  known  substance 
could  equal  the  sharp,  flinty  crystals,  in  grinding  to 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  101 

an  inconceivably  fine  powder  hard  mineral  substances, 
so  that  they  can  be  rendered  absorbable  by  the  body. 
Its  preservative  properties  are  very  great,  keeping  the 
minutest  particles  of  triturated  metals  untarnished  by 
oxidation  indefinitely. .  It  is  easily  made  into  tablets, 
which,  in  their  pores,  can  be  made  to  absorb  medicinal, 
alcoholic  solutions. 

Alcohol  is  the  most  important  menstruum  used 
in  homoeopathic  pharmacy;  it  is  seldom  pure  unless 
redistilled.  Alcohol  is  formed  whenever  sugar  comes 
in  contact  with  a  fermentable  matter  in  water  at  a 
suitable  temperature.  It  may  be  made  from  a  great 
number  of  vegetable  substances,  that  from  rye  or 
wheat  being  the  best.  Pure  Alcohol  is  a  colorless  fluid 
which  must  not  lather  when  rubbed  in  the  hands  and 
have  no  disagreeable  odor.  Strong  Alcohol  contains 
about  94  per  cent  by  volume  of  Ethyl  Alcohol.  It  is 
used  principally  in  the  preparation  of  tinctures  or  cer- 
tain solutions. 

Officinal  or  Dispensing  Alcohol  is  used  for  making 
the  attenuations  and  is  best  adapted  for  medicating 
pellets.     It  contains  88  per  cent  by  volume  of  Ethyl 

Alcohol. 

Alcohol  should  be  kept  in  well  stoppered  bottles  and 
in  a  cool  place. 

Distilled  Water  (Aqua  distillata).  Common  water 
is  always  impure  for  medicinal  preparations,  being 
charged  with  gases,  earthly  matters,  etc.  Hence  dis- 
tilled water  is  essential.  The  still  used  should  be  used 
for  no  other  purpose  whatever.  The  crucial  test  of  the 
purity  of  distilled  water  is  its  ability  to  keep.  If  it 
has  any  kind  of  odor,  or  becomes  turbid  it  is  unfit  for 
homoeopathic  preparations.  It  should  be  kept  in  glass- 
stoppered  bottles  and  only  in  small  quantities  as  it  is 


102  A   COMl'END   OF    THE 

very  liable  to  deterioration  from  the  entrance  of  inor- 
ganic dust  and  microbes. 

Distilled  Water  is  used  as  a  solvent  for  many  chemi- 
cal substances;  for  making  solutions  of  acids,  and  also 
converting  triturations  into  liquid  attenuations,  as  is 
done  with  all  minerals,  chemical  salts  and  all  other 
drugs  first  prepared  by  triturating  them,  after  the  third 
centesimal  poteney. 

The  Unit  of  Medicinal  Strengtli.  The  dnj,  crude 
drug,  is  the  unit  of  medicinal  strength,  or  drug  power. 
It  is  the  starting  point  from  whence  to  calculate  the 
strength  of  every  preparation,  be  it  tincture,  solution  or 
trituration.  In  making  triturations  or  solutions  of 
chemical  substances,  the  matter  is  very  simple,  the  first 
potency  being  the  yV  or  yJo  of  the  crude  drug  accord- 
ing to  the  decimal  or  centesimal  scale.  In  the  case  of 
tinctures,  the  dry  drug  also  is  the  unit  of  drug  power, 
but  as  this  is  soluble  in  varying  proportions  in  differ- 
ent plants,  the  drug-power  of  the  tinctures  varies  ac- 
cordingly. 

Preparations  of  Drugs. 

General  rule.  All  substances  soluble  in  either  Alco- 
hol or  water,  are  properly  made  into  solutions  or  tinc- 
tures; all  insoluble  or  only  partially  soluble  substances 
should  first  be  made  into  triturations  only. 

Aqueous  Solutions  are  made  from  such  chemicals  as 
are  soluble  in  water.  Hygroscopic  substances,  such  as 
some  of  the  potash  and  soda  preparations  ought  to  be 
so  prepared  in  the  lower  potencies  in  preference  to 
triturating  them.  The  solutions  are  made  in  the  pro- 
portion of  one  in  ten,  one  in  one  hundred  and  one  in 
one  thousand,  depending  upon  the  degree  of  the  solu- 
bility of  the  substance.  Such  solutions  are  as  a  rule 
unstable  and  do  not  keep  for  any  length  of  time,  and 


Principles  of  Homoeopathy.  103 

ought,  therefore,  be  renewed  whenever  required.  The 
solution  must  be  clear,  free  from  sediment  and  cloudi- 
ness. 

Tinctures.  Homoeopathic  tinctures  are  made  from 
plants  and  other  substances  wholly  or  partially  soluble 
in  Alcohol.  They  are,  therefore,  alcoholic  solutions  of 
solids  or  semi-solids.  The  chief  source  of  homoeopathic 
tinctures  is  the  fresh  plant,  but  parts  of  plants,  barks, 
roots,  seeds,  gums,  balsams,  etc.,  are  also  used.  Mine- 
rals and  chemicals  soluble  in  alcohol  also  give  tinc- 
tures. When  made  from  plants,  it  is  essential  to  obtain 
the  fresh  flowering  plant,  whenever  possible,  the  dried 
article  always  being  inferior,  often  inert.  For  this  rea- 
son, homoeopathic  tinctures  must  be  imported  from  the 
country,  where  the  plants,  grow  and  in  no  case  will  it 
answer  to  substitute  a  tincture  made  from  the  dried  plant, 
or  worse  still,  from  a  fluid  extract.  It  is  very  important 
that  tinctures  should  be  of  uniform  strength,  and  as 
the  watery,  proportion  varies  greatly  according  to  sea- 
son and  other  conditions,  the  dried,  crude  drug  is 
taken  as  the  starting  point  from  whence  to  calculate 
the  strength  of  the  tincture.  This  is  readily  ascertained 
by  taking  a  suitable  quantity  of  the  fresh  plant  and 
weighing  it,  then  drying  it  by  gentle  heat  until  there  is 
no  further  loss  of  weight.  The  difference  of  weight  will 
indicate  the  amount  of  water  contained  in  the  plant 
for  which  allowance  is  to  be  made  in  the  use  of  the 
menstrua.  But  remember,  that  while  the  dry,  crude 
material  after  evaporation  is  taken  as  a  unit  of  strength, 
the  fresh  green  plant  is  to  he  used  in  the  preparation  of 
the  tincture. 

The  tincture  represents  one  part  of  this  dry,  crude 
material  in  each  ten  parts  of  the  completed  solution, 
i.  e.j  Ix  would  represent  its  drug  power.  This  is  the 
method  prescribed  by  the  British  and  American  Insti- 


]04  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

tute  pharmacopoeias,  and  leads  to  accurate  and  scien- 
tific results.  At  present,  however,  many  tinctures  are 
not  made  so  and  the  mother  tincture  represents  vary- 
ing degrees  of  drug  power,  which  ought  to  be  known 
in  each  instance,  in  order  to  make  an  exact  Ix  attenua- 
tion. 

Dilutions  or  Liquid  Attenuations.  Hahnemann 
introduced  and  adopted  as  the  standard,  a  progressive 
scale  of  diluting  drugs  in  the  proportion  of  1  to  99 
known  as  the 

Centesimal  Scale.  Under  this  rule  each  attenuation 
contains  just  ^Iq  part  as  much  of  the  drug  substance 
as  the  preceding  attenuation.  The  potencies  so  pre- 
pared are  marked  1,  2,  3, 4,  etc.,  according  to  the  potency 
represented.  The  first,  1,  containing  1,35^  part  of  the 
crude  drug,  the  second,  marked  2,  the  -,  Jo  part  of  the 
first  J  or  10000"  o^  the  orginal  drug;  the  third,  marked  3, 
the  iJo  of  the  second,  or  the  1  ooooott  o^  the  original, 
etc.  Later,  in  order  to  secure  intermediate  grades  of 
strength  and  better  communication  of  the  particles, 
Hering  introduced  the 

Decimal  Scale,  the  proportion  of  1  to  9  by  which 
each  successive  dilution  contains  just  ^'5  as  much  of 
the  drug  substance  as  the  preceding  one. 

Decimal  preparations  are  designated  such  by  an  x; 
thus  the  first  decimal  is  marked  Ix,  and  contains  j^o 
part  of  the  original  drug  substance;  the  second  decimal 
is  marked  2x,  and  contains  the  ^-o  part  of  the  first  dec- 
imal, or  ,00  of  the  original  drug-substance.  Thus  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  first  centesimal  is  equal  to  the  2x; 
the  2nd  centesimal,  marked  2,  is  equal  to  the  4th  deci- 
mal; the  3d  centesimal  to  the  6x,  etc.,  etc. 

Triturations.  A  trituration  is  a  preparation  of  a 
drug  introduced  by  Hahnemann,  by  which  the  finely- 


Pkinciples  of  Homceopathy.  105 

powdered,  medicinal  substance  is  ground  for  a  certain 
time  in  a  mortar  and  pestle  with  a  certain  proportion 
of  sugar  of  milk. 

In  the  process  of  trituration,  there  is  a  progressive 
division  and  diminution  of  the  medicinal  substance, 
by  which  mechanical  subdivision  the  visible  particles 
of  the  substance  become  gradually  smaller  and  fewer 
as  the  numbers  of  the  triturations  ascend — their  sur- 
faces are  thereby  immensely  enlarged. 

It  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  surface  occupied  by  a 
grain  of  any  drug  is  greatly  increased,  if  it  can  be 
divided  into  its  constituent  molecules.  This  can  be 
done  by  triturating  it  with  a  larger  quantity  of  some 
other  substance — sugar  of  milk  preferably — by  which 
the  distance  between  the  molecules  may  be  increased, 
and  thus  the  surface  extent  enlarged.  In  this  mole- 
cular form,  the  specific  quality  can  be  impressed  upon 
the  organism  most  effectually — for  only  in  this  form 
do  the  individual  parts  enjoy  their  freedom  of  motion, 
and  can  enter  into  the  specific  relations  to  the  organ- 
ism their  affinity  urges  them  on  to.  In  the  proportion 
as  this  molecular  activity  is  attained,  can  these  atoms 
enter  the  tissues  of  the  body  and  there  modify  the  func- 
tions. 

To  make  Triturations.  Hahnemann's  method  is 
still  adhered  to  in  all  essential  points,  except  that  with 
the  great  increase  of  quantity  required,  most  of  the 
process  of  triturating  is  now  done  by  means  of  machin- 
ery. At  least  one  hour  should  be  consumed  to  make 
each  trituration  and  some  drugs,  especially  in  the  first 
trituration,  require  a  much  longer  time.  The  principle 
is  taught  clearly  by  Hahnemann.  His  original  method 
was  as  follows: 

Take  100  grains  of  fine  sugar  of  milk  and  divide  it 
into  three  equal  parts;  then  add  one  grain  of  the  drug 


lOG  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

to  one  of  these  three  parts  of  sugar  of  milk  in  a  mortar, 
mix  well  with  a  spatula,  and  then  grind  for  six  min- 
utes with  a  moderate  degree  of  force.  The  triturate  is 
then  to  be  scraped  together  for  four  minutes.  Another 
third  of  sugar  of  milk  is  then  added  and  treated  ex- 
actly like  the  first  third,  and  finally  the  last  third  is 
added  and  proceeded  with  in  the  same  manner.  This 
results  in  the  first  centesimal  trituration  (containing 
1^0  of  the  original  drug).  The  second  centesimal  is 
made  by  taking  one  grain  of  the  first  and  b}^  proceed- 
ing with  it  in  the  manner  described  above.  The  third 
centesimal  is  made  in  the  same  manner  from  the  second. 

B)^  adopting  the  decimal  scale,  a  better  preparation 
is  ensured,  since  every  centesimal  trituration  gets 
double  the  time  of  grinding,  and  this  scale  is  therefore 
universally  adopted. 

All  mineral  preparations,  most  chemical  salts,  ani- 
mal substances,  and  certain  vegetable  drugs  and  alka- 
loids, are  thus  prepared  for  purposes  of  homoeopathy 
by  first  triturating  them  up  to  the  sixth  decimal  or 
third  centesimal  potency.  Each  separate  potency  is 
triturated  at  least  one  hour,  so  the  sixth  has  had  no 
less  than  six  hours  constant  triturating;  but,  as  most 
triturations  are  now  made  by  machinery,  the  time 
given  to  each  is  usually  greatly  extended.  One  hour, 
however,  was  Hahnemann's  rule.  Although  many 
medicines  have  been  carried  up  to  the  twelfth,  and 
even  the  thirtieth  potency,  by  trituration^  there  is  no 
need  or  advantage  in  doing  so  beyond  the  sixth  deci- 
mal, since  Hahnemann  proved  conclusively,  and  clin- 
ical experience  fully  verified  the  fact,  that  beyond  that 
potency  all  medicines  yield  up  their  medicinal  virtues 
to  water  and  alcohol,  and  can  thus  be  prepared  in  a 
liquid  state. 

To  Convert  Triturations  into  Liquid  Potencies. 

Hahnemann  discovered  the  fact  that  any  insoluble  sub- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  107 

stance  when  triturated  to  the  third  centesimal  or  sixth 
decimal  trituration,  becomes  so  finely  subdivided  that 
its  particles  are  held  in  suspension  in  the  diluting 
menstruum,  alcohol  or  water  in  other  words  are  prac- 
tically dissolved.  In  this  way,  all  homoeopathic  medi- 
cines made  from  minerals  and  other  insoluble  substan- 
ces are  nevertheless  converted  into  liquid  preparations 
retaining  all  the  medicinal  virtues  of  the  drug.  The 
process  is  thus  described  by  Hahnemann  and  adopted 
by  the  homoeopathic  profession: 

"Sugar  of  Milk  cannot  be  dissolved  in  pure  Alcohol; 
this  is  the  reason  why  the  first  dilution  should  be  com- 
posed of  one-half  water  and  one-half  alcohol,  To  one 
grain  of  the  (loooooo)  third  centesimal  trituration,  you 
add  fifty  drops  of  distilled  water  and  turn  the  vial 
several  times  around  its  axis.  By  this  means  the 
Sugar  of  Milk  becomes  dissolved.  Then  you  add  fifty 
drops  of  Alcohol,  and  shake  the  vial.  Only  two-thirds 
of  the  vial  ought  to  be  filled  with  the  solution."  The 
vial  is  then  marked  with  the  name  of  the  remedy  and 
a  figure  4,  indicating  the  fourth  centesimal  potency. 
This  preparation,  containing  one-half  water  cannot  be 
used  for  saturating  pellets  as  it  would  dissolve  them. 
From  this  fourth  the  subsequent  attenuations  are  made 
in  the  usual  manner  with  pure  alcohol.  * 

*  One  of  the  real  dangers  to  Homoeopathy  consists  in  the  lack 
of  attention  to  the  exact  preparation  of  homoeopathic  medicines, 
and  in  substituting  old  school  pharmaceutical  methods  for  the 
precise  and  accurate  instructions  of  Hahnemann.  Dr.  J.  Hayward 
calls  attention  to  this  subject  in  a  presidential  address  delivered  in 
Liverpool  last  year.  He  says:  "  It  is  much  to  be  feared,  in  view 
of  the  great  competition  and  endeavor  to  undersell  each  other 
amongst  the  present-day  homoeopathic  pharmacists,  and  with  the 
low-priced  tinctures,  that  many  of  the  preparations  are  anything 
but  those  of  genuine  and  pure  drugs.  This  may  be  part  of  the 
cause  of  much  of  the  disappointment  we  sometimes  experience  in 
practice.     This  risk  is  increased  by  the  fact  that  many   of  our 


108  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

Pellets,  Disks,  Cones,  etc.,  are  forms  of  vehicles  for 
prescriptions.  They  are  made  of  sugar  and  are  simply 
saturated  with  the  liquid  attenuation.  They  are  a  con- 
venient form  of  administering  remedies. 

Tablets  are  a  compressed  form  of  the  trituration  it- 
self, of  recent  introduction.  They  come  in  one  and 
two  grain  sizes,  and  are,  therefore,  very  convenient 
when  a  definite  size  of  dose  is  desired. 

For  further  study  consult  the  forthcoming  Pharmacopoeia  of 
the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy. 

Also,  "Three  Lectures  on  Homoeopathic  Pharmaceutics, "  by 
the  veteran  pharmacist,  Dr.  F.  E.  Boericke. 


drugs  are  procured  from  ordinary  wholesale  drug-stores,  where 
they  are  not  prepared  with  the  care  necessary  for  homoeopathic 
medicines.  It  is  very  desirable  that  our  own  pharmacists  should 
themselves  collect  and  procure  the  medicines  and  make  the  prepa- 
rations. If  they  will  not,  then  practitioners  should  procure  and 
prepare,  at  least,  some  of  them  for  themselves." — (From  a  general 
Purvey  of  our  position  in  The  Journal  of  the  British  Homwopathic 
Society,  Januarj',  1896.) 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  109 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

HAHNEMANN'S    PHILOSOPHY. 

Hahnemann  was  a  vitalist.  His  philosophical  con- 
ceptions are  a  protest  against  materialism;  against  all 
merely  chemico-physiological  ideas,  all  pathological, 
bacterial,  antitoxic  theories,  discoveries  and  facts  as  a 
basis  for  Therapeutics.  He  proves  that  a  true  science 
of  therapeutics  cannot  be  built  on  any  such  insecure 
foundations,  and  the  whole  history  of  medicine  justifies 
the  position.  Again,  his  teachings  in  regard  to  disease 
and  their  cure  by  homoeopathic  remedies  require  a 
practical  acceptance  of  the  existence  of  a  vital  princi- 
ple animating  the  body,  and  at  the  same  time  a  simi- 
lar vital  principle  or  force  embodied  in  every  medic- 
inal substance.  It  necessitates  therefore,  a  substantial 
world  of  causes,  the  world  of  mind  where  thought  and 
affection,  desire  and  lusts  in  their  innumerable  mani- 
festations exist  and  a  material  world  of  effects,  where 
these  ultimate  themselves  in  corresponding  forms,  and 
thus  become  fixed  and  enduring.  Hahnemann  saw  in 
the  body  but  an  organism  made  up  of  material  parti- 
cles in  themselves  dead,  but  vivified  and  embodied  and 
adapted  to  the  real,  living  man,  the  spirit  within.  The 
connection  between  the  immaterial,  spiritual  and  im- 
mortal being,  and  the  body  is  supposed  by  him  to  be 
effected  by  means  of  the  vital  force  which  he  designates 
Dynamis.  We  have  then,  in  Hahnemannian  physio- 
logy, (1)  the  spirit,  the  true  man,  (2)  the  material 
body,  receiving  its  life  and  health  through  (3)  the  vivi- 
fying vital  force,  the  dynamis.  From  this  conception 
follows  the  pathological  deduction  that  the  disturbance 
of  the  harmonious  play  of  life,  manifesting  itself  in 
symptoms  affecting  the  functions  and  sensations  which 


110  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

we  call  disease,  is  a  disturbance  of  this  same  vital  force 
or  dynamis.  This  Dynamis  differs  from  the  material 
body  in  being  of  a  more  subtle  quality  and  Hahne- 
mann defines  it,  in  contradiction  of  the  material  gross- 
ness  of  the  body  as  ''  spirit-like."  The  vital  force  is 
active  throughout  the  body,  is  the  immediate  cause  of 
every  functional  activity,  of  all  bodily  growth.  It  is 
the  formative  force  of  the  organism,  is  in  fact  the  inner 
form  which  controls  the  molecular,  chemical  and  me- 
chanical processes,  and  uses  them  for  its  own  purposes. 
Immaterial,  hence  beyond  the  penetration  of  the  keen- 
est sense  or  most  powerful  microscope,  or  the  X  ray. 
The  vital  force  is  the  intermediate  agent  between  the 
spirit  and  the  body,  enabling  the  spirit  to  dwell  for  a 
time  in  its  material  bodily  clothing.  Hahnemann's 
dynamis  or  vital  force  is  not,  therefore,  the  very  seat  of 
life,  but  only  the  connecting  medium  between  the 
rational  spirit,  the  true  living  man  and  the  outer 
material  covering  by  which  man  takes  cognizance  of  this 
material  world  and  its  plane  of  external  life.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  suppose  this  vital  force  to  be  an  organized 
entity,  but  rather  the  first  ultimation  on  the  plane  of 
matter  by  means  of  the  finest  degrees  of  that  plane,  of 
the  moulding,  organizing  and  maintaining  activity  of 
the  spirit  within.  If  you  choose  to  call  it  molecular 
motion,  well  and  good,  it  is  molecular  motion  guided 
for  a  definite  end  in  view. 

In  disease,  the  vital  principle  is  first  disturbed,  and 
its  disturbance  precedes  functional  and  organic  changes. 
Hence,  disease  is  of  dynamic  origin,  and  the  true  causes 
of  disease  are  such  as  affect  the  vital  force;  dynamic 
agents,  mental  conditions,  passions,  moral  deteriora- 
tions in  the  individual  or  in  the  race.  So-called  causes 
of  disease  can  act  only  as  secondary  causes  when  the 
vital  force  has  become  weakened  in  its  resistance  and 
allows   untoward   influences   to   affect   the   organism. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  Ill 

The  following  paragraphs  in  the  Organon  clearly  teach 
this:     9,  10,  11,  12,  15,  16,  29. 

"During  health,  the  immaterial  vital  principle  which 
animates  the  material  body,  rules  absolutely.  By  it 
all  its  parts  are  maintained  in  admirable,  harmonious 
vital  operation,  as  regards  both  sensations  and  func- 
tions; so  that  our  indwelling,  rational  spirit  can  freely 
employ  this  living,  healthy  instrument  for  the  higher 
purposes  of  our  existence." 

"  The  material  organism,  without  the  vital  force,  is 
incapable  of  sensation,  function  or  self-preservation; 
it  is  dead  and  subject  only  to  the  physical  laws  of  the 
external  world;  it  decays,  and  is  again  resolved  into 
its  chemical  constituents;  it  is  the  immaterial,  vital 
principle  only,  animating  the  material  organism  in 
health  and  disease,  that  imparts  to  it  all  sensation  and 
enables  it  to  perform  its  functions." 

"In  disease,  it  is  only  this  immaterial,  automatic 
vital  force,  pervading  the  entire  organism,  that  is  pri- 
marily deranged  by  the  dynamic  influence  upon  it  of 
a  morbific  agent  inimical  to  life.  Only  the  vital  prin- 
ciple, thus  deranged,  can  furnish  the  organism  its  ab- 
normal sensations  and  set  up  the  irregular  processes 
we  call  disease;  for,  as  a  power  invisible  in  itself  and 
only  known  by  its  effects  on  the  organism,  its  morbid 
derangement  only  makes  itself  known  by  the  manifes- 
tations of  disease  in  the  sensations  and  functions  of 
those  parts  of  the  organism  exposed  to  the  senses  of 
the  observer  and  physician — that  is,  by  morbid  symp- 
toms, and  in  no  other  way  can  it  make  itself  known. 

"How  the  vital  force  causes  the  organism  to  display 
morbid  phenomena — that  is,  how  it  produces  disease, — 
it  would  be  of  no  practical  utility  to  know,  and,  there- 
fore, it  will  for  ever  remain  concealed  from  the  physi- 
cian." 


112  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

In  the  preface  to  the  second  volume  of  the  "  Materia 
Medica  Pura,"  Hahnemann  says:  "Life  is  in  no  re- 
spect governed  by  any  physical  law  which  govern  only 
inorganic  substances.  The  material  substances  com- 
prising the  human  organism  are  not  governed  in  their 
living  composition,  by  the  same  laws  to  which  inor- 
ganic substances  are  subjected,  but  follow  laws  pecu- 
liar to  their  vitality;  they  themselves  are  animated 
and  vivified,  just  as  the  whole  organism  is  animated 
and  vivified.  *  *  *  *  As  the  organism,  in  its  nor- 
mal condition,  depends  only  on  the  state  of  the  vitality, 
it  follows  that  the  changed  condition  which  we  call  dis- 
ease or  sickness  must  likewise  depend,  not  on  the  oper- 
ation of  physical  or  chemical  principles,  but  on  orig- 
inally vital  sensations  and  actions — that  is  to  say,  a 
dynamically  changed  state  of  man— a  changed  exist- 
ence, through  which,  eventually,  the  constituent  parts 
of  the  body  becomes  altered  in  their  character,  as  is 
rendered  necessary  in  each  individual  case  through  the 
changed  condition  of  the  living  organism." 

Need  of  the  Dynamized  Remedy  to  Aifect  Changes 
in  the  Disturbed  Yital  Force.  Now  the  next  step 
was  almost  inevitable.  If  disease  is  but  a  disturbed 
condition  of  the  vital  force,  and  this  far  removed  from 
the  grossness  of  matter,  so  fine  as  to  be  almost  spirit- 
like, surely  crude  drugs  cannot  possibly  affect  it  cura- 
tively,  and  hence  the  need  for  purposes  affecting  this 
disturbed  dynamis  of  the  dynamized  drug  of  the  poten- 
tized  remedy,  one  from  which  all  crude,  grossly  ma- 
terial parts  have  been  eliminated.  *     Such  a  prepara- 

*  The  following  quotation  from  Paracelsus  is  interesting  in 
this  connection,  and  may  possibly  serve  as  a  clue  to  explain  the  ac- 
tion of  the  attenuated  homoeopathic  medicines. 

"  Matter  is  connected  with  spirit  by  an  intermediate  principle 
•which  it  receives  from  the  spirit.    This  intermediate  link  between 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  113 

tion  alone  would  approach  in  character  and  fineness 
that  of  the  dynamis,  hence  the  teaching  in  Organon, 
16,  269,  275,  276,  288,  where  it  is  said  that  it  is  only 
by  means  of  the  spirit-like  influence  of  a  morbific  agent 
that  our  vital  power  can  be  diseased;  and  in  like  man- 
ner, only  by  the  spirit-like  (dynamic)  operation  of  med- 
icine that  health  can  be  restored. 

"  The  homoeopathic  system  of  medicine  develops 
for  its  use,  to  a  hitherto  unheard-of  degree,  the  spirit- 
like medicinal  powers  of  the  crude  substances  by  means 
of  a  process  peculiar  to  it  and  which  has  hitherto  never 
been  tried,  whereby  only  they  all  become  penetratingly 
efficacious  and  remedial,  even  those  that  in  their  crude 
state  give  no  evidence  of  the  slightest  medicinal  power 
on  the  human  body."     §  256  Organon. 

Hahnemann  discovered  the  fact  that  there  existed  a 
dynamic,  vital  principle  in  all  drugs,  a  curative  force, 
peculiar  and  individual  and  distinctive  of  each  drug, 
that  could  be  practically  transferred  to  some  medici- 
nally inert  substance  and  preserved  indefinitely.  This 
is  not  saying  that  it  becomes  separated  from  its  mate- 
rial basis,  but  the  particles  of  this  material  envelope,  if 
present  at  all,  must  be  capable  of  a  subdivision  infini- 
tely beyond  that  accepted  by  modern  science. 

A  drug  as  we  preceive  it,  is  the  ultimate  embodiment 
of  a  medicinal  force,  differing  in  kind  and  degree  in 
every  drug,  and  Hahnemann  devised  or  accidently  hit 
upon  a  method,  probably  the  only  practical  method,  of 
securing  this  inner,  living,  medicinal  force  for  thera- 
peutic purposes. 

matter  and  spirit  belongs  to  all  three  kingdoms  of  nature  .  .  .  and 
it  forms,  in  connection  with  the  vital  force  of  the  vegetable  king- 
dom, the  Primum  Ens,  which  possesses  the  highest  medicinal 
properties."    (Paracelsus). 

8 


114  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

The  same  thought  is  expressed  in  the  following  ex- 
tract of  a  lecture  on  the  Evolution  of  Medicine  by 
Prof.  Thos.  J.  Gray,  M.  D.,  of  Minneapolis. 

"  We  say  that  Opium  is  obtained  from  the  Papaver 
Somniferum,  Pulsatilla  from  the  Anemone,  Belladonna 
from  the  Atropa  Belladonna,  and  so  following.  Just 
what  do  we  mean  in  these  statements?  What  is  Opium 
or  Pulsatilla  or  Belladonna?  These  plants  named 
will  grow  and  come  to  perfection  in  the  same  square 
foot  of  earth,  in  the  same  season,  under  the  same  con- 
ditions of  air,  light,  soil,  heat  and  moisture,  yet  each 
retains  its  identity;  there  is  no  transfer  of  individual- 
ity, each  remains  itself.  Each  has  transmuted  the 
common  environment  into  himself,  without  any  confu- 
sion or  mistake.  Upon  closer  examination,  not  alone 
do  we  find  a  common  environment,  but  the  microscope 
reveals  an  essential  identity  in  structure.  The  proto- 
plasmic vegetable  cell  is,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  the  same 
in  them  all,  nay  more,  though  our  subtlest  methods  of 
chemical  analysis  must  be  confessed  as  crude  ap- 
proaches to  the  inner  sanctuary  of  nature's  secrets, 
since  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case  we  cannot  know 
the  essential  changes  produced  upon  the  original  sub- 
stances by  our  solutions  and  calexes,  and  so  must  fur- 
nish from  the  imagination  long  links  of  connecting 
conditions,  yet  they  all  point  to  an  essential  unity  of 
chemical  composition  as  well.  If  we  reason  on  the 
plane  of  our  experiments  and  observations,  we  are 
obliged  to  assume  that  the  slight  differences  in  struc- 
ture and  composition  that  seem  to  be  present,  are  suffi- 
cient to  account  for  one  of  the  most  stupendous  facts 
in  the  natural  world,  a  clear  case  of  laying  too  heavy 
a  burden  on  the  major  premise  of  the  syllogism.  But 
still  more,  when  we  contemplate  the  hidden  processes 
by  which  the  various  vegetable  cells  unerringly  appro- 
priate and  assimilate  the  common  air,  water  and  soil, 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  115 

in  certain  fixed  proportions,  do  we  see  the  force  of  this 
fact.  Is  it  not  a  mere  figure  of  speech  to  call  the  form 
in  space  of  green  and  other  colors,  which  appears  to 
the  eye,  or  whose  reality  may  be  attested  by  the  bal- 
ance, that  space-filling  and  time-perduring  thing,  the 
plant,  rather  is  it  not  a  body  for  the  real  plant,  the 
real  thing,  the  thing  that  has  caused  what  we  can  see 
and  feel  ?  This  real  poppy,  this  real  anemone,  or 
deadly  night-shade,  evidently  is  neither  red  or  black, 
neither  short  or  long,  neither  heavy  or  light,  neither 
penetrable  or  impenetrable — in  short,  it  has  not  nor  can 
have  attributed  to  it  any  of  the  forms  or  qualities  of  bodies 
whatsoever.  Hence,  it  cannot  be  measured  or  weighed, 
nor  can  the  terms  much  or  little  be  applied  to  it.  The 
poppy  is  as  truly  in  one  seed  as  in  a  thousand.  It  is  a 
dynamic  energy,  a  force  and  not  matter  at  all,  unless  we 
make  the  confusion  of  assuming  matter  and  force  to  be 
one  and  the  same  thing.  And  so  of  every  drug,  each  is 
an  active  dynamic  self.  We  acknowledge  this  truth  in 
the  phrase,'the  active  principle  of  this  or  that  substance.' 

And  so  it  comes  about  that  what  we  really  adminis- 
ter is  a  principle,  a  force;  a  thing  of  which  absolutely 
no  attributes  of  matter  can  be  predicated." 

The  keynote  to  Homoeopathy  is  the  Hahnemannian 
teaching  of  the  Dynamis  or  vital  force.  Homcjeopathy 
eliminates  material  causes  of  most  diseases,  material 
dosage  of  medicines  and  looks  to  the  real  cause  of  all 
disease  in  the  disturbed  vital  force  and  selects  a  cura- 
tive remedy  corresponding  to  all  the  symptoms  expres- 
sing the  disturbance  and  administers  it  in  a  dynamized 
form,  one  in  which  the  drug  is  free  to  all  outward  ap- 
pearance of  its  proper  material  envelope.  This  view  of 
disease  does  not  countenance  therefore,  a  removal  of 
the  products  of  a  disease  as  a  cure  of  the  disease  itself, 
any  more  than  blowing  and  cleaning  of  the  nose  is  a 
cure  for  coryza.     Hence  the  mere  excision  of  tumors  is 


116  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

no  permanent  cure  of  the  tumor  disease.  We  must  go 
back  of  the  local  manifestation  and  cure  the  condition 
which  produced  the  tumor.  Local  astringent  injections 
do  not  cure  a  leucorrhoea,  although  the  discharge  is 
made  to  disappear;  cauterizing  a  chancre  will  not  cure 
the  syphilitic  cause  of  that  outward  manifestation  of  a 
general  infection;  a  Sulphur  or  Zinc  ointment  applied 
to  a  skin  disease,  or  a  corrosive  sublimate  wash  does 
not  cure,  although  the  skin  itself  may  be  freed.  These 
measures  merely  suppress  the  local  and  ultimate  mani- 
festation of  the  disease.  Metastases  (change  in  the  seat 
of  disease),  are  sure  to  appear  sooner  or  later  and  inva- 
riably more  serious  than  the  primary  disorder.  To  be 
sure,  the  physician  pronounces  these  new  diseases,  and 
the  patient  submits  to  further  suppression  and  pallia- 
tion, but  a  cure  is  further  off  than  ever.  Bear  in  mind 
that  it  is  a  fallacy  to  believe  that  disease  can  be  cured 
by  the  expulsion  of  material  morbific  matters — they 
cannot  be  so  permanently  cured,  though  of  course,  the 
immediate  symptoms  of  discomfort  of  the  patient  may 
be  thereby  removed.  The  physician's  duty  therefore, 
is  more  than  to  be  a  medical  scavenger,  expelling  sup- 
posed or  real  morbific  matter.  There  is  no  question 
that  the  loathsome,  vile  or  impure  discharges  in  disea- 
ses are  effete  products  of  the  disease  itself,  symptoms 
of  the  dynamic  disturbance  within  and  as  such  guides 
to  the  selection  of  the  remedy  not  to  be  carelessly  sup- 
pressed, for  frequently  they  are  a  relief  of  the  inner 
more  dangerous  evil.  By  suppressing  these  outer 
manifestations,  curative  efforts  of  nature,  possibly, 
metastases  towards  other  and  more  vital  parts  are 
likely  to  take  place. 

For  further  study  consult  Chapter  X,  "  Dynamization;"  also, 
Chapter  X  on    "  Hahnemann's  Doctrine  of  Chronic  Diseases." 

"The  Genius  of  the  Homoeopathic  Healing  Art;"  preface  to  the 
second  volume  of  the  Materia  Medica  Pura  by  Hahnemann. 

Teste's  Materia  Medica;  introductory  chapter. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  117 


APPENDIX. 


A    CATECHISM    ON    SAMUEL    HAHNEMANN'S 
ORGANON. 


A  plain  laborer  went  once  to  church  to  hear  a  cele- 
brated preacher,  whose  eloquence  was  known  near  and 
far.  After  the  service  a  parishioner  asked  that  man 
how  he  enjoyed  the  sermon,  and  the  poor  man  replied 
that  it  must  have  been  a  great  sermon,  but  he  failed  to 
understand  it.  Years  ago  I  gave  to  one  of  my  students 
the  Organon  in  vernacular  and  in  the  original  to  read, 
and  bye  and  bye  he  came  back  and  in  sorrow  ex- 
claimed: "Why  could  that  great  man  not  write  in 
such  a  language  that  a  plain  fellow,  like  me,  can  know 
what  he  meant?"  Commentators  tried  over  and  over 
to  explain  every  sentence  (none  better  than  Kent),  and 
still  the  very  necessity  of  commentators  prove  the 
necessity  of  abbreviating  this  great  work,  to  give  to  the 
student  the  kernel  in  as  few  words  as  possible.  If  this 
is  a  sacrilege  to  the  name  of  the  father  of  homoeopathy, 
may  the  good  Lord  pardon  my  sin. 

*  Some  years  ago,  when  the  author  edited  the  California  Homos- 
opath,  the  late  Professor  Samuel  Lilienthal  contributed  to  the  jour- 
nal a  series  of  articles  embodying  the  gist  of  Hahnemann's  "Orga- 
non" and  of  his  "Chronic  Diseases"  in  simple  language  and 
especially  written  for  the  student.  They  were  greatly  appreciated 
at  the  time  and  repeated  requests  for  their  republication  have  been 
made.  In  compliance  thereto  and  especially,  as  Professor  Lilien- 
thal's  presentation  is  wholly  in  harmony  with  the  purpose  of  this 
compend,  the  author  believes  that  he  will  render  a  service  to  his 
readers  and  students  generally,  by  enriching  his  pages  with  them. 


118  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

1.  The  physician's  highest  and  only  calling  is  to  re- 
store health  to  the  sick,  which  is  called  healing. 

2.  Healing  ought  to  be  accomplished  in  the  most 
speedy,  most  gentle,  and  most  reliable  manner. 

3.  To  do  this  he  must  know  the  ailment  of  the 
patient,  select  the  remedy,  the  dose  and  its  repetition 
according  to  each  individual  case. 

4.  Sanitation  and  hygiene  are  studies  in  which 
every  physician  must  be  well  versed. 

5.  Constitution  of  the  patient,  his  mind  and  temp- 
erament, occupation,  mode  of  living  and  habits,  social 
and  domestic  relations,  age  and  sexual  functions,  etc. 
Give  us  the  individuality  of  the  patient. 

6.  Deviations  from  the  normal  state  show  them- 
selves by  morbid  signs  or  symptoms. 

7.  The  totality  of  these  symptoms,  this  outwardly 
reflected  image  of  the  inner  nature  of  the  diseased  state, 
i.  e.,  of  the  suffering  dynamic,  or  living  force,  is  the 
principal  and  only  condition  to  be  recognized  in  order 
that  they  may  be  removed  and  health  restored. 

8.  Life,  a  dynamic  principle,  animates  the  material 
body,  and  this  material  body  passes  away  as  soon  as  it 
is  bereft  of  this  life-force.  In  health,  harmonious  vital 
processes  go  on  in  our  mind  and  body,  and  in  sickness 
this  life-force  becomes  deranged  by  the  dynamic  influ- 
ence of  some  morbific  agency  inimical  to  life,  hence 
abnormal  functional  activity,  manifesting  itself  by 
morbid  sensations  and  functions,  by  morbid  symptoms. 

9.  This  morbidly  changed  life-force  can  only  be  re- 
stored to  its  normal  state  by  a  similarly  acting  dyna- 
mical power  of  the  appropriate  remedy,  acting  upon 
the  omnipresent  susceptibility  of  the  nerves  of  the 
organism.  The  total  removal  of  all  symptoms  is  health 
restored,  and  therefore  the  totality  of  symptoms  ob- 
served in  each  individual  case  can  be  the  only  indica- 
tion to  guide  us  in  the  selection  of  a  remedy. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  119 

10.  These  aberrations  from  the  state  of  health  can 
only  be  removed  by  the  curative  power  inherent  in 
medicine  to  turn  the  sensorial  condition  of  the  body 
again  into  its  normal  state. 

11.  Experiments  on  animals,  vivisection  and  au- 
topsy can  never  reveal  the  inherent  power  of  medicine; 
the  healthy  human  body  alone  is  the  fit  subject  for 
such  experiments,  where  they  excite  numerous  definite 
morbid  symptoms,  and  it  follows  that,  if  drugs  act  as 
curative  remedies,  they  exercise  this  curative  power 
only  by  virtue  of  altering  bodily  failings  through  the 
production  of  peculiar  symptoms,  which  then  they  are 
able  to  remove  from  the  sick;  in  other  words,  the  rem- 
edy must  be  able  to  produce  an  artificial  morbid  condi- 
tion similar  to  that  of  the  natural  disease. 

12.  Experience  teaches  that  all  drugs  will  unex- 
ceptionally  cure  diseases  the  symptoms  of  which  are  as 
similar  as  possible  to  those  of  the  drugs,  and  leave 
none  uncured. 

13.  Natural  diseases  are  removed  by  proper  medi- 
cines, because  the  normal  state  is  more  readily  affected 
by  the  right  dose  of  a  drug  than  by  natural  morbific 
agencies. 

14.  Psychical  and  partly  physical  terrestial  poten- 
cies show  their  greatest  power  where  this  life-power  is 
below  par,  hence  they  do  not  affect  everybody  nor  do 
they  do  so  at  all  times;  we  may  therefore  assert  that 
extraneous  noxious  agencies  possess  only  a  subordinate 
and  conditional  power,  while  drug-potencies  possess  an 
absolute,  unconditional  power. 

15.  Drug-disease  is  substituted  for  the  natural  dis- 
ease, when  the  drug  causes  symptoms  most  similar  to 
that  which  is  to  be  cured,  and  it  is  hardly  possible  to 
perform  a  cure  by  means  of  drugs  incapable  of  pro- 
ducing in  the  organism  a  diseased  condition  similar  to 
that  which  is  to  be  cured. 


120  A    COMPEND    OF   THE 

16.  Palliation  of  prominent  symptoms  ought  to  be 
discarded,  for  it  provides  only  in  part  for  a  single 
symptom;  it  may  bring  partial  relief,  but  this  is  soon 
followed  by  a  perceptible  aggravation  of  the  entire 
disease. 

17.  Primary  and  after  or  counter  effect  of  drugs. 
During  the  primary  effect  of  a  drug  the  vital  force  re- 
ceives the  impression  made  upon  it  by  the  drug  and 
allows  the  state  of  health  to  be  altered  by  it.  The 
vital  force  then  rallies  and  either  calls  forth  the  exact 
opposite  state  of  feeling  or  it  neutralizes  the  impression 
made  upon  it  by  the  drug,  thereby  establishing  the 
normal  state  of  health.  The  former  a  counter  effect, 
the  latter  a  curative  effect. 

18.  Diseases  peculiar  to  mankind  are  of  two  classes: 
(1).  Rapid,  morbid  processes  caused  by  abnormal 
states  and  derangements  of  the  vital  force,  acute  dis- 
eases. (2).  Chronic  diseases..  Originating  by  infection 
with  a  chronic  miasm,  acting  deleteriously  upon  the 
living  organism  and  undermining  health  to  such  a 
degree  that  the  vital  force  can  only  make  imperfect 
and  ineffectual  resistance,  which  may  result  in  the 
final  destruction  of  the  organism. 

19.  Acute  diseases  may  be  sporadic,  endemic  or 
epidemic. 

20.  Allopathy  is  to  blame  for  many  an  incurable 
ailment;  the  organism  becomes  gradually  and  abnor- 
mally deranged,  according  to  the  individual  character 
of  the  dru£:. 

21.  True  chronic  diseases  arise  mostly  from  Syphilis, 
Sycosis  and  Psora.  The  latter  is  often  the  fundamental 
cause  and  source  of  countless  forms  of  diseases,  figur- 
ing as  peculiar  and  definite  diseases  in  our  text-books 
on  pathology. 

22.  Individualization  in  the  investigation  of  a  case  of 
disease  demands  unbiased  judgment,  sound  senses,  at- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  121 

tentive  observation  and  fidelity  in  noting  down  the  im- 
age of  the  disease. 

23.  The  patient  tells  the  history  of  his  complaints, 
the  attendants  fill  out  the  gap,  narrating  every  thing 
which  he  might  have  forgotten.  The  physician  observes 
by  means  of  sight,  hearing  and  touch  what  is  changed 
and  abnormal  about  the  patient,  and  writes  down 
everything  in  precisely  the  same  expressions  used  by 
the  patient,  and  his  attendants.  Symptoms  ought  to 
be  noted  separately,  one  beneath  the  other,  so  that  ad- 
ditions could  be  inserted.  Careful  inquiry  by  the 
physician  will  bring  out  the  particular  points,  the  mo- 
dalities of  each  symptom.  No  leading  questions  are  to 
be  made,  so  that  the  patient  may  give  unbiased  his 
own  sensations.  Memoranda  are  then  to  be  added  of 
what  he  himself  observed  on  the  patient  and  anamnesis 
fully  noted  down. 

24.  The  previous  use  of  drugs  may  tarnish  the  pic- 
ture of  the  disease,  and  it  may  be  advisable  to  give  a 
placebo  for  a  day  or  two,  so  that  afterwards  a  true  pic- 
ture may  be  attained.  This  holds  specially  good  in 
chronic  affections.  In  acute  cases  which  brood  no  de- 
lay, the  physician  may  be  obliged  to  accept  the  morbid 
state  as  modified  by  drugs  and  embrace  it  in  one  record. 

25.  In  chronic  cases  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
patient  must  be  investigated:  occupation,  habits  of 
living,  diet,  domestic  relations,  etc.,  so  that  appropriate 
means  be  taken  for  their  removal.  All  this  takes  time 
and  patience,  as  many  chronic  patients  consider  many 
a  symptom  as  a  part  of  their  unavoidable  condition, 
and  forget  to  mention  it,  considering  such  of  no  value. 

26.  In  the  exploration  of  the  totality  of  symptoms 
of  epidemic  or  sporadic  diseases,  the  physician  should 
pre-suppose  the  true  image  of  any  prevalent  disease  to 
be  new  and  unknown,  and  give  it  a  new  and  thorough 
investigation.      Nothing  must   be  taken  for  granted. 


122  A    GOMPEND   OF   THE 

In  all  epidemics  the  physician  may  only  be  able  to 
collect  the  full  picture  of  the  disease  after  the  investi- 
gation of  several  cases.  Only  thus  he  arrives  at  the 
characteristic  peculiarities  of  the  epidemic,  which 
affects  all  patients  alike,  because  each  case  arises  from 
the  same  source,  and  then  we  are  enabled  to  discover 
the  appropriate  homoeopathic  remedy  for  that  prevail- 
ing epidemic. 

27.  When  all  the  prominent  and  characteristic 
symptoms  of  the  case  have  been  committed  to  writing, 
the  most  difficult  part  has  been  accomplished,  and  we 
must  now  seek  out  the  corresponding  drug  which  in 
its  effects  on  healthy  persons  produces  symptoms  strik- 
ingly similar  to  those  of  the  disease.  Upon  subsequent 
inquiry  concerning  the  effects  of  the  remedy  and  the 
changes  of  feelings  it  has  produced  in  the  patient,  and 
after  having  made  a  new  record  of  the  case,  the  physi- 
cian only  omits  from  his  diary  the  symptoms  Avhich 
were  improved,  and  notes  down  what  remains,  or  what 
has  subsequently  appeared  in  the  form  of  new  symp- 
toms. 

28.  The  entire  range  of  disease-producing  power  of 
each  drug  must  be  known,  that  is,  all  morbid  symp- 
toms and  changes  of  the  state  of  health  which  each 
drug  is  capable  of  producing  by  itself  in  healthy  persons, 
in  order  to  discover  what  elements  of  disease  each  is 
able  to  produce  and  inclined  to  excite  by  itself  in  the 
condition  of  mind  and  body.  Thus,  the  disease-pro- 
ducing power  of  drugs  can  be  made  available  homoeo- 
pathically  in  the  case  of  all  diseases. 

29.  Experiments  made  with  moderate  doses  of  drugs 
(except  narcotics,  which  destroy  sensibility  and  sensa- 
tion), upon  healthy  persons,  exhibit  only  primary 
effects,  i.e.,  those  symptoms  by  means  of  which  a  drug 
affects  or  deranges  the  healthy  state  and  produces  in 
the  organism  a  morbid  condition  of  variable  duration. 


Principles  of  Homoeopathy.  123 

30.  Some  symptoms  are  produced  by  drugs  in  many 
healthy  persons  who  try  them;  others  are  produced  in  only 
a  few;  others  again  are  extremely  rare,  showing  them- 
selves only  in  peculiar  constitutions,  which,  though 
otherwise  healthy,  are  inclined  to  be  more  or  less  mor- 
bidly affected  by  certain  things  which  appear  to  make 
no  impression  and  to  produce  no  change  in  many  other 
persons. 

31.  Each  drug  manifests  particular  effects  in  the 
human  body,  and  no  other  drug  will  produce  effects  of 
exactly  the  same  kind.  Medicines  must  therefore  be 
differentiated  from  each  other  with  scrupulous  accu- 
racy, and  proved  by  pure  and  careful  experiments  with 
regard  to  their  power  and  true  effects  upon  the  healthy 
body.  In  proving  drugs  it  should  be  remembered  that 
strong,  so  called  heroic  substances,  even  in  small  doses, 
have  the  property  of  affecting  changes  in  the  health, 
even  of  robust  persons.  Those  of  milder  power  should 
be  given  in  considerable  doses  in  these  experiments; 
and  those  of  least  activity,  in  order  to  cause  their  effect 
to  become  perceptible,  should  be  tried  only  upon 
healthy,  but  sensitive  and  susceptible  persons.  Let  us 
be  very  careful  in  regard  to  the  reliability  of  the  drugs 
used  in  the  provings;  they  must  be  pure,  genuine,  and 
of  full  strength. 

32.  Every  medicinal  substance  should  be  employed 
entirely  alone,  in  a  perfectly  pure  state,  without  the 
admixture  of  any  other  substance,  and  the  prover 
should  not  take  any  other  medicinal  substance  on  the 
same  day,  or  for  so  many  days  as  the  observation  of 
the  effects  of  the  drug  requires. 

33.  During  the  proving,  the  diet  should  be  moder- 
ate, but  nutritious;  avoid  all  green  vegetables,  roots, 
all  kinds  of  salad  and  pot-herbs,  as  they  retain  medi- 
cinal properties,  even  if  most  carefully  prepared;  avoid 
mental  and  bodily  exertions,  particularly  disturbances 


124  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

resulting  from  the  excitement  of  sexual  excesses. 
Provers  ought  to  possess  the  requisite  degree  of  intelli- 
gence to  enable  them  to  define,  or  to  prescribe  their 
sensations  in  distinct  expressions. 

34.  Crude  medicinal  substances,  if  taken  by  the 
prover  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  their  peculiar 
effects,  will  not  disclose  the  same  wealth  of  latent 
powers  as  when,  they  are  taken  in  a  highly  attenuated 
state,  potentiated  by  means  of  trituration  and  succus- 
sion.  Thus  the  medicinal  powers,  even  of  substances 
hitherto  considered  as  inert,  are  most  effectually  de- 
veloped by  administering  to  the  prover  daily  from 
four  to  six  of  the  finest  pellets  of  the  thirtieth  potency; 
the  pellets,  having  been  previously  moistened  with  a 
little  water,  should  be  taken  on  an  empty  stomach  for 
several  days. 

35.  Drugs  must  be  proved  by  both  sexes,  in  order 
to  get  their  full  effects. 

36.  All  persons  differ  in  their  susceptibility  to  drug 
influence.  Each  prover  should  begin  with  a  small 
dose  of  medicine,  gradually  to  be  increased  day  by  day 
where  such  a  course  appears  proper  and  desirable. 

37.  By  giving  a  sufficiently  strong  dose  in  the  be- 
ginning of  a  proving,  we  get  the  exact,  consecutive 
order  in  which  the  symptoms  appear,  and  the  prover 
can  note  the  time  at  which  each  one  appeared.  Thus, 
we  find  out  the  genius  of  the  drug.  A  moderate  dose 
frequently  suffices,  when  the  prover  is  sensitive  and 
pays  proper  attention  to  the  state  of  his  feelings.  The 
duration  of  the  effect  of  a  drug  is  determined  only  after 
comparison  of  a  number  of  provings. 

38.  When  increased  doses  are  taken  several  days 
in  succession,  we  discover  the  various  morbid  condi- 
tions which  this  drug  produces  in  general,  but  we  will 
not  learn  the  consecutive  order  of  their  appearance, 
and  besides,  a  second  dose,  by  its  curative  effect,  will 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  125 

often  remove  some  of  the  symptoms  resulting  from  the 
previous  dose;  or  a  second  dose  may  produce  the  oppo- 
site condition  from  that  of  the  first,  an  alternating 
effect  of  the  drug. 

39.  An  increased  dose  for  several  successive  days 
shows  the  symptoms  better,  but  not  the  consecutive 
order,  nor  the  duration  of  the  drug  effect.  During  the 
proving  the  prover  should  study  out  whether  any  symp- 
tom is  changed  by  taking  different  position,  when  ame- 
liorated or  aggravated,  and  at  what  time  of  day  or  night 
each  symptom  usually  appears. 

40.  Several  provings  are  necessary  by  the  same 
prover  to  get  from  him  as  many  symptoms  as  possible, 
but  to  get  at  the  totality  of  symptoms  which  a  drug  is 
liable  to  produce,  the  provings  of  many  persons  are 
necessary;  the  smaller  the  dose  of  the  drug,  the  more 
distinctly  the  primary  effects  will  appear,  while  exces- 
sive doses  cause  the  result  to  be  disturbed  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  various  after-effects,  because  the  primary 
effects  become  confused  by  the  violence  and  haste  of 
the  action  of  the  dose. 

41.  Symptoms  similar  to  the  drug  the  prover  has 
sometimes  felt  before  the  proving  was  commenced,  but 
when  they  appear  again  during  the  proving,  it  shows 
that  he  is  susceptible  to  the  action  of  the  drug. 

42.  Every  prover  must  be  directed  to  distinctly 
write  down  every  sensation  and  change  of  feeling,  the 
time  of  its  appearance,  its  duration,  and  then  the 
director  of  the  proving  compares  the  different  manu- 
scripts of  records.  Thus,  we  accumulate  a  collection 
of  genuine,  pure,  and  undeceptive  effects  of  simple 
drugs.  Such  records  contain  and  represent  in  simili- 
tude the  elements  of  numerous  natural  diseases  here- 
after to  be  cured  by  these  means.  A  materia  medica 
of  that  kind  should  exclude  every  supposition,  every 
mere  assertion  or  fiction. 


126  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

43.  A  drug  fully  tested  with  regard  to  its  power  of 
altering  human  health,  and  whose  symptoms  present 
the  greatest  degree  of  similitude  with  the  totality  of 
symptoms  of  a  given  natural  disease,  will  be  the  most 
suitable  and  reliable  homoeopathic  remedy  for  that 
disease,  its  specific  curative-  agent. 

44.  A  medicine  possessing  the  power  to  produce  an 
artificial  disease  most  similar  to  the  natural  disease  to 
be  cured,  exerts  its  dynamic  influence  upon  the  mor- 
bidly disturbed  vital  force,  and  in  the  right  dose  will 
affect  those  parts  of  the  organism  where  the  natural  dis- 
ease is  located,  and  will  excite  in  them  an  artificial 
disease. 

45.  A  well-selected  homoeopathic  drug  will  remove 
a  natural  acute  disease  of  recent  origin,  even  if  severe 
and  painful;  an  older  affection  will  disappear  in  a 
few  days,  and  recovery  progress  to  full  restoration  of 
health.  Old,  complicated  diseases  demand  longer 
time  for  their  removal.  Qhronic  drug  diseases,  com- 
plicating an  uncured  natural  disease,  yield  only  after 
great  length  of  time,  if  they  have  not  become  quite 
incurable. 

46.  For  a  few  insignificant  symptoms  of  recent  ori- 
gin, no  medicinal  treatment  is  needed;  a  slight  change 
of  diet  and  habits  of  living  suffices  for  their  removal. 

47.  In  searching  for  the  homoeopathic  specific 
remedy,  the  more  prominent,  uncommon  and  'peculiar 
(characteristic)  symptoms  of  the  case  should  bear  the 
closest  similitude  to  the  symptoms  of  the  drug.  The 
more  general  symptoms  deserve  less  notice,  as  gene- 
ralities are  common  to  every  disease  and  almost  to  every 
drug. 

48.  Although  a  well-selected  remedy  quietly  extin- 
guishes an  analogous  disease  without  exciting  additi- 
onal sensations,  it  may  produce  a  slight  aggravation 
resembling  the  original  disease  so  closely  that  the  pa- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  127 

tient  considers  it  as  such.  Aggravations  caused  by 
larger  doses  may  last  for  several  hours,  but  in  reality 
these  are  only  drug  effects  somewhat  superior  in  inten- 
sity and  very  similar  to  the  original  disease.  The 
smaller  the  dose  of  the  drug,  so  much  smaller  and 
shorter  is  the  apparent  aggravation  of  the  disease  during 
the  first  hours.  Even  in  chronic  cases,  after  the  days 
of  aggravation  have  passed,  the  convalescence  will  pro- 
gress almost  uninterruptedly  for  days. 

49.  If  in  acute  cases  the  remedy  was  poorly  selected 
we  must  examine  the  case  more  thoroughly  for  the 
purpose  of  construing  a  new  picture  of  the  disease. 
Cases  may  occur  where  the  first  examination  of  the 
disease  and  the  first  selection  of  the  remedy  prove  that 
the  totality  of  symptoms  of  the  disease  is  not  suffici- 
ently covered  by  the  morbific  elements  (symptoms)  of 
a  single  remedy;  and  where  we  are  obliged  to  choose 
between  two  medicines  which  seem  to  be  equally  well 
suited  to  the  case,  we  must  prescribe  one  of  these  medi- 
cines, and  it  is  not  advisable  to  administer  the  remedy 
of  our  second  choice  without  a  renewed  examination  of 
the  patient,  because  it  may  no  longer  correspond  to  the 
symptoms  which  remain  after  the  case  has  undergone 
a  change,  and  often  a  different  remedy  will  be  indica- 
ted. If  the  medicine  of  our  second  choice  is  still  suited 
to  the  remnant  of  the  morbid  condition,  it  would  now 
deserve  much  more  confidence  and  should  be  employed 
in  preference  to  others. 

50.  Diseases  presenting  only  a  few  symptoms  may 
be  called  partial  (one-sided)  diseases;  their  chief  symp- 
toms indicating  either  an  internal  affection,  or  head- 
ache, or  diarrhoea,  or  only  a  local  one.  A  mere  careful 
examination  often  reveals  more  occult  symptoms,  and 
if  this  fails,  we  must  make  the  best  use  of  these  few 
prominent  symptoms  as  guides  in  the  selection  of  the 
medicine.     As  for  such  a  partial  disease,  the  selected 


128  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

remedy  may  also  be  only  partially  adapted,  it  may  ex- 
cite accessory  symptoms  and  symptoms  of  the  disease 
will  be  developed  which  the  patient  had  not  previously 
perceived  at  all  or  only  imperfectly,  thus  facilitating 
the  task  of  selecting  a  more  accurate  homoeopathic 
remedy. 

51.  After  the  completion  of  the  effect  of  each  dose 
of  medicine,  the  case  should  be  re-examined,  in  order 
to  ascertain  what  symptoms  remain  and  the  corre- 
sponding remedy  selected,  and  so  on  till  health  is 
restored. 

52.  Local  diseases  are  those  affections  which  are  of 
recent  origin  and  caused  by  external  injury.  Affections 
of  external  parts,  requiring  mechanical  skill,  belong  to 
surgery  alone,  but  often  the  entire  organism  is  affected 
to  such  an  extent  by  injuries,  as  to  require  dynamic 
treatment  in  order  that  it  may  be  placed  in  the  proper 
condition  for  the  performance  of  the  curative  operation. 

53.  Affections  of  external  parts,  not  caused  by  ex- 
ternal injuries,  proceed  from  an  internal  morbid  state 
and  all  curative  measures  must  be  taken  with  reference 
to  the  state  of  the  whole  system,  in  order  to  effect  the 
obliteration  and  cure  of  the  general  disease  by  internal 
remedies. 

54.  In  examining  such  a  case,  the  record  of  the 
exact  state  of  the  local  disease  is  added  to  the  sum- 
mary of  all  symptoms,  and  other  peculiarities  to  be 
observed  in  the  general  condition  of  the  patient,  in 
order  to  get  at  the  totality  of  symptoms  and  to  select 
the  corresponding  remedy  which  removes  the  local  as 
well  as  the  general  symptoms.  Notwithstanding  the 
well-regulated  habits  of  the  patient  a  remnant  of  the 
disease  may  still  be  left  in  the  affected  part,  or  in  the 
system  at  large,  which  the  vital  force  is  unable  to  re- 
store to  its  normal  state;  in  that  case  the  acute  local 
disease  frequently  proves  to  be  the  product  of  psora, 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  129 

which  has  lain  dormant  in  the  system,  where  it  is  now 
about  to  become  developed  into  an  actual  chronic  dis- 
ease. Antipsoric  treatment  will  be  necessary  to  remove 
this  remainder  and  to  relieve  the  habitual  symptoms 
peculiar  to  the  patient  previous  to  the  acute  attack. 
(See  Chronic  Diseases.) 

55.  It  is  not  advisable  to  combine  the  local  appli- 
cation of  a  medicine  simultaneously  with  its  internal 
use,  for  the  disappearance  of  the  local  symptom  ren- 
ders it  nearly  impossible  to  determine  whether  the 
total  disease  has  also  been  exterminated  by  the  inter- 
nal remedy.  Relying  on  the  internal  remedy  alone, 
the  removal  of  the  local  disease  proves  the  achievement 
of  a  radical  cure,  and  of  complete  recovery  from  the 
general  disease. 

56.  When  the  sy.-^tem  is  affected  with  some  chronic 
disease  which  threatens  to  destroy  vital  organs  or  life 
itself  and  which  does  not  yield  to  the  spontaneous 
efforts  of  the  vital  force,  the  latter  endeavors  to  substi- 
tute a  local  disease  on  some  external  part  of  the  body, 
whither  the  internal  disease  is  transferred  by  deriva- 
tion, in  order  to  lessen  the  internal  morbid  process. 
But  still  the  internal  disease  may  increase  constantly 
and  tlieir  nature  will  be  compelled  to  enlarge  and 
aggravate  the  local  symptoms  in  order  to  make  it  a 
sufficient  substitute  for,  and  to  subdue  the  internal 
disease. 

57.  Most  chronic  diseases  originate  from  three 
chronic  miasma;  internal  syphilis,  internal  sycosis,  and 
particularly  from  internal  psora.  Each  of  these  must 
have  pervaded  the  whole  organism  and  penetrated  all 
its  parts  before  the  primary  representative  local  symp- 
tom makes  its  appearance  for  the  prevention  of  the  in- 
ternal disease.  The  suppression  of  the  local  symptom 
may  be  followed  by  innumerable  chronic  diseases;  the 
true   physician  cures   the   great   fundamental  miasm 

9 


130  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

together  with  which  its  primary  as  well  as  its  secondary 
symptoms  disappear  together. 

58.  Before  beginning  the  treatment  of  a  chronic 
disease  we  must  find  out  whether  the  patient  ever  had 
been  infected  by  syphilis  or  by  sycotic  gonorrhoea, 
although  it  is  rare  to  meet  with  uncomplicated  cases  of 
these  affections,  as  we  usually  find  them  often  com- 
plicated with  psora,  the  most  frequent  and  fundamental 
cause  of  chronic  diseases.  It  will  be  necessary  to  inquire 
into  all  former  treatment  and  what  mineral  .waters 
have  been  employed  and  with  what  result,  in  order  to 
understand  the  deviations  which  the  treatment  had 
produced  in  the  original  disease,  to  correct  this  artifi- 
cial deterioration  and  to  determine  the  course  now  to 
be  pursued. 

59.  A  full  anamnesis  of  the  case  ought  now  to  be 
recorded,  also  the  state  of  mind  and  temperament  of 
the  patient,  as  it  may  be  useful  to  direct  or  modify 
this  mental  condition  by  psychical  means.  Guided  by 
the  most  conspicuous  and  characteristic  symptoms  the 
physician  will  be  enabled  to  select  the  first  anti-psoric, 
anti-syphilitic  or  anti-sycotic  remedy  for  the  beginning 
of  the  cure. 

60.  The  state  of  the  patient's  mind  and  tempera- 
ment is  often  of  most  decisive  importance  in  the  selec- 
tion of  the  remedy,  as  each  medicinal  substance  affects 
also  the  mind  in  a  different  manner.  Mental  diseases 
must  only  be  treated  like  all  other  affections  and  they 
are  curable  only  by  remedies  similar  to  the  disease. 

61.  Most  mental  alienations  are  in  reality  bodily 
diseases,  only  these  mental  and  emotional  symptoms 
develop  in  some  cases  more  or  less  rapidly,  assume  a 
state  of  most  conspicuous  onesidedness,  and  are  finally 
transferred  like  a  local  disease,  into  the  invisibly  fine 
organs  of  the  mind,  where  they  seem  to  obscure  the 
bodily  symptoms;  in  short,  the  disorder  of  the  coarser 


Principles  of  Homoeopathy.  131 

bodily  organs  are  transferred,  as  it  were,  to  the  almost 
spiritual  organs  of  the  mind,  where  the  dissecting  knife 
will  search  in  vain  for  their  cause. 

62.  In  recording  the  totality  of  symptoms  of  such 
a  case,  we  must  obtain  an  accurate  description  of  all 
physical  symptoms  which  prevailed  before  the  disease 
degenerated  into  a  one-sided  mental  disorder.  We 
compare,  then,  these  early  symptoms  with  their  present 
indistinct  remnants,  which  occasionally  appear  during 
lucid  intervals,  and  add  the  symptoms  of  the  mental 
state  as  observed  by  the  physician  and  attendants  of 
the  patient. 

63.  Though  a  patient  may  be  relieved  of  an  acute 
mental  disorder  by  non-antipsoric  medicine,  no  time 
must  be  lost  in  perfecting  the  cure  by  continued  anti- 
psoric  treatment,  so  that  the  disease  may  not  break  out 
anew,  which  will  be  prevented  by  strict  adherence  to 
well-regulated  diet  and  habits.  If  neglected,  psora 
will  be  usually  developed  during  the  second  attack, 
and  may  assume  a  form,  periodical  or  continuous,  and 
much  more  difficult  to  cure. 

64.  Mental  diseases,  not  the  result  of  physical  or 
bodily  affections,  of  recent  date,  and  which  have  not 
yet  undermined  the  physical  health  too  seriously,  ad- 
mit of  the .  speedy  cure  by  physical  treatment,  while 
careful  regulations  of  habits  will  re-establish  the  health 
of  the  body,  but  as  a  measure  of  precaution  a  course  of 
antipsoric  treatment  is  advisable,  in  order  to  prevent  a 
recurrence  of  the  attack  of  mental  aberration.  Proper 
hygiene  and  psychical  regimen  of  the  mind  must  be 
strictly  enforced  by  the  physician  and  attendants. 
The  treatment  of  insane  persons  should  he  conducted  ivith 
a  view  of  the  absolute  avoidance  of  corporeal  punishment 
or  torture.  Physician  and  attendants  should  always 
treat  such  patients  as  if  they  regarded  them  as  rational 
beings. 


182  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

65.  Intermittent  diseases  also  claim  our  attention. 
Some  return  at  certain  period,  and  there  are  others,  ap- 
parently non-febrile  affections,  resembling  intermittents 
by  their  peculiar  recurrences.  There  are  also  affections 
characterized  by  the  appearance  of  certain  morbid  con- 
ditions, alternating  at  uncertain  periods  with  morbid 
conditions  of  a  different  kind.  Such  alternating  dis- 
eases are  mostly  chronic  and  a  product  of  developed 
psora,  in  rare  instances  they  are  complicated  with 
syphilitic  miasma.  The  first  needs  purely  antipsoric 
treatment,  the  latter  an  alternation  of  antipsoric  with 
antisyphilitics. 

66.  Typical  intermittents  recur  after  a  certain 
period  of  apparent  health,  and  vanish  after  an  equally 
definite  period.  Apparently  non-febrile  morbid  con- 
ditions, recurring  at  certain  periods,  are  not  of  sporadic 
or  epidemic  nature,  they  belong  to  a  class  of  chronic, 
mostly  genuine  psoric  diseases.  Sometimes  an  intercur- 
rent dose  of  highly  potentized  Peruvian  bark  extin- 
guishes the  intermittent  type  of  the  disease. 

67.  In  sporadic  or  epidemic  intermittents,  not  pre- 
valent endemically  in  marshy  districts,  each  attack  is 
mostly  composed  of  two  distinct  stages,  chill  and  heat, 
or  heat  and  then  chill;  still  more  frequently  they  con- 
sist of  three  stages,  chill,  heat  and  finally  sweat.  The 
remedy,  usually  a  non-antipsoric,  must  have  the  power 
to  produce  in  healthy  persons  the  several  successive 
stages  similar  to  the  natural  disease,  and  should  cor- 
respond, as  closely  as  possible,  with  the  most  promi- 
nent and  peculiar  stage  of  the  disease;  but  the  symp- 
toms which  mark  the  condition  of  the  patient  during 
the  apyrexia,  should  chiefly  be  taken  for  guides  in 
selecting  the  most  striking  homoeopathic  remedy.  The 
best  time  to  administer  the  medicine  is  a  short  time 
after  the  termination  of  the  paroxysm,  then  the  medi- 
cine has  time  to  develop  its  curative  effect  without  vio- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  133 

lent  action  or  disturbance,  and  the  vital  force  is  then 
in  the  most  favorable  condition  to  be  gently  modified 
by  the  medicine  and  restored  to  healthy  action.  If  the 
apyrexia  is  very  brief,  or  if  it  is  disturbed  by  the  after 
effects  of  the  preceding  paroxysm,  the  dose  of  the  medi- 
cine should  be  administered  when  the  sweating  stage  di- 
minishes or  when  the  subsequent  stages  of  the  paroxysm 
decline. 

68.  One  dose  may  suffice  to  restore  health,  but  when 
a  new  attack  threatens,  the  same  remedy  should  be  re- 
peated, provided  the  complex  of  symptoms  remains  the 
same;  but  the  intermittent  is  apt  to  recur,  when  the 
noxious  influences,  which  first  originated  the  disease, 
continue  to  act  upon  the  convalescent  patient,  as  would 
be  the  case  in  marshy  localities,  and  to  eradicate  the 
tendency  to  relapses,  the  patient  ought  to  be  removed 
to  a  mountainous  region.  When  this  suitable  remedy 
fails  to  break  up  the  paroxysms,  unless  continued  ex- 
posure to  marsh  miasma  is  at  fault,  we  may  blame 
the  latent  psora  for  it,  and  antipsoric  remedies  are 
needed  for  a  cure. 

69.  Epidemics  of  intermittents  in  non-malarial  dis- 
tricts partake  of  the  nature  of  chronic  diseases;  each 
epidemic  possesses  a  peculiar  uniform  character,  com- 
mon to  all  individuals  attacked  by  the  epidemic,  and 
this  uniform  character  points  out  the  homoeopathic 
remedy  for  all  cases  in  general.  This  remedy  usually 
also  relieves  patients,  who,  previous  to  this  epidemic, 
had  enjoyed  good  health,  and  who  were  free  from  de- 
veloped psora. 

70.  In  such  epidemic  intermittents  our  antipsorics 
fail,  but  a  few  doses  of  sulphur  or  hepar  sulphur,  re- 
peated at  long  intervals,  will  aid  us  in  their  cure. 
Malignant  intermittents,  attacking  single  persons  not 
residing  in  marshy  districts,  need  in  the  beginning  a 
non-antipsoric  remedy,  which  should  be  continued  for 


134  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

several  days,  for  the  purpose  of  reducing  the  disease  as 
far  as  possible.  Where  this  fails,  psora  is  sure  in  the 
act  of  development,  and  antipsorics  alone  will  give 
relief. 

71.  Intermittent  fevers,  indigenous  to  marshy  coun- 
tries, or  places  subject  to  inundations,  will  hardly  ever 
affect  young  and  healthy  people,  if  their  habits  are  tem.- 
perate,  and  if  they  are  not  weakened  by  want,  fatigue 
or  excesses.  Endemics  are  apt  to  attack  new  comers, 
but  a  few  doses  of  high  potencies  of  China  will  easily 
rid  th«m  of  the  fever,  provided  their  mode  of  life  is  very 
simple,  and  if  there  is  no  latent  psora  in  them,  which, 
where  such  is  the  case,  necessitates  antipsoric  treatment. 

72.  Mode  of  Application  of  Curative  Remedies. — 
Perceptible  or  continued  improvement  in  acute  or 
chronic  diseases  invariably  counter-indicates  the  repe- 
tition of  any  medicine  whatever,  for  every  new  dose 
would  disturb  the  process  of  recovery.  A  very  minute 
dose  of  the  similimum,  if  uninterrupted  in  its  action, 
will  gradually  accomplish  all  the  curative  effects  it  is 
capable  of  producing,  in  a  period  varying  from  forty 
to  one  hundred  days.  Yet  physician  and  patient  desire 
to  reduce  this  period.  We  must  be  careful  to  select 
the  most  appropriate  remedy,  and  then  only  we  might 
repeat  this  potency  in  fourteen,  twelve,  ten,  eight  or 
seven  days.  In  chronic  diseases  assuming  an  acute 
fbrm,  and  demanding  greater  haste,  these  spaces  of 
time  may  be  abbreviated  still  more,  but  in  acute  dis- 
eases the  remedies  may  be  repeated  at  much  shorter 
intervals,  for  instance,  twenty-four,  twelve,  eight  or 
four  hours;  and  in  the  most  acute  cases  at  intervals 
varying  from  one  hour  to  five  minutes. 

73.  The  dose  of  the  same  remedy  is  to  be  repeated, 
.lintil  recovery  ensues  or  until  the  remedy  ceases  to  pro- 
duce! improvement;  and  with  the  change  of  symptoms 
a  fresh  examination  may  indicate  another  remedy. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  135 

74.  Every  medicine  which  produces  new  and 
troublesome  symptoms  not  peculiar  to  the  disease  to  be 
cured,  is  not  homoeopathic  to  the  case.  An  antidote 
must  be  given,  selected  with  great  care  in  regard  to  the 
similitude  of  the  case,  or  if  the  accessory  symptoms  are 
not  too  violent,  the  next  remedy  should  be  given  at 
once,  in  order  to  replace  the  inappropriate  one.  If  in 
urgent  cases  we  see  after  a  few  hours  that  the  selection 
of  the  remedy  was  faulty  and  the  patient  fails  to  im- 
prove or  new  symptoms  are  discovered,  we  must  select 
with  greater  care  another  remedy  which  is  more  accu- 
rately adapted  to  the  new  state  of  the  case. 

75.  There  are  some  remedies,  as  Ignatia,  Bryonia, 
Rhus,  rad.,  in  some  respects  Belladonna,  which  show 
alternating  effects  on  the  state  of  the  health,  composed 
of  partly  opposite  primary  effects.  If  after  the  exhibi- 
tion of  one  of  these  remedies,  no  improvement  follows, 
we  must  in  a  few  hours,  in  acute  cases,  give  a  new  po- 
tency of  the  same  remedy. 

If  in  a  chronic  psoric  case  the  antipsoric  fails  to  re- 
lieve, there  must  be  some  irregularity  of  regimen  or 
some  other  vigorous  influence  acting  upon  the  patient, 
which  must  be  removed  before  a  permanent  cure  can 
be  accomplished. 

Incipient  improvement,  however  slight,  is  indicated 
by  increased  sensation  of  comfort,  greater  tranquility 
and  ease  of  the  mind  and  return  of  naturalness  in  the 
feelings  of  the  patient.  To  find  out  improvement  or 
aggravation,  the  physician  must  examine  the  patient 
closely  upon  every  symptom  contained  in  the  record 
of  the  case.  If  these  show  that  neither  new  nor  un- 
usual symptoms  have  appeared,  and  that  none  of  the 
old  ones  have  increased,  and  especially  if  the  state  of 
mind  and  disposition  is  found  to  be  improved,  the 
medicine  must  also  have  produced  an  essential  and 
general  improvement  in  the  disease,  or  at  all  events,  it 


13G  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

may  soon  be  expected.  Where  delay  occurs  beyond 
expectation,  there  must  be  some  fault  in  the  regimen 
of  the  patient  or  the  protracted  homoeopathic  aggrava- 
tion produced  by  the  medicine  must  be  attributed  to 
the  insufficient  reduction  of  the  dose. 

76.  New  and  important  symptoms,  mentioned  by 
the  patient,  indicate  that  the  medicine  was  not  well 
selected;  though  the  patient  may  think  he  is  improv- 
ing, his  condition  may  even  be  worse,  which  will  soon 
make  itself  apparent. 

77.  No  physician  should  have  favorites  among 
drugs,  nor  should  he  disregard  medicines  on  account 
of  their  failure.  Too  often  the  fault  is  the  physician's 
or  the  supposition  a  wrong  one;  his  only  duty  is  to  se- 
lect the  similimum  to  every  case. 

78.  On  account  of  the  minuteness  of  the  homoeo- 
pathic dose,  great  care  must  be  taken  in  the  diet  and 
regimen  of  the  patient,  and  especially  in  chronic  cases 
we  have  to  search  carefully  for  such  impediments  to  a 
cure,  because  these  diseases  are  often  aggravated  by 
obscure,  noxious  influences  of  that  kind  as  well  as  by 
errors  in  regimen,  which,  being  frequently  overlooked, 
exercise  a  noxious  influence.  Daily  walks,  light 
manual  labor,  proper  nutritious  food  and  drink,  una- 
dulturated  with  medicinal  substances  are  to  be  recom- 
mended. In  acute  cases  we  have  only  to  advise  the 
family  to  obey  the  voice  of  nature  by  gratifying  the  pa- 
tient's ardent  desires,  without  offering  or  urging  him  to 
accept  hurtful  things.  In  acute  cases  the  temperature 
of  the  bedroom  and  the  quantity  of  the  covering  should 
be  regulated  entirely  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  pa- 
tient, while  every  kind  of  mental  exertion  and  emo- 
tional disturbance  is  to  be  avoided. 

79.  Genuine  and  unadulterated  medicines,  retaining 
their  full  virtues  are  the  first  requisites  of  a  physician, 
and  in  the  treatment  of  disease  only  one  single  medici- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  137 

nal  substance  should  be  used  at  one  time;  which  will 
give  relief  in  diseases  whereof  the  totality  of  symptoms 
is  accurately  known.  Too  strong  a  dose,  of  even  a  well 
selected  drug,  will  produce  an  unnecessary  surplus  of 
effect  upon  the  over  excited  vital  force,  and  will  be  in- 
jurious, while  the  same  similar  drug-disease,  if  exerted 
within  proper  limits,  would  have  gently  effected  a  cure. 

80.  Experience  proves  that  the  dose  of  a  homoeo- 
pathically  selected  remedy  cannot  be  reduced  so  far  as 
to  be  inferior  in  strength  to  the  natural  disease,  and  to 
lose  its  power  of  extinguishing  and  curing  at  least  a 
portion  of  the  same,  provided  that  this  dose,  immedi- 
ately after  having  been  taken,  is  capable  of  causing  a 
slight  intensification  of  symptoms  of  the  similar  natural 
disease,  though  this  homoeopathic  aggravation  is  very 
often  almost  imperceptible. 

81.  The  homoeopathic  similimum  will  operate 
chiefly  upon  the  diseased  parts  of  the  body,  which 
have  become  extremely  susceptible  of  a  stimulus  so 
similar  to  their  own  disease.  The  smaller  dose  will 
change  the  vital  action  of  those  parts  into  an  artificial 
drug  disease,  and  the  organism  be  freed  from  the  mor- 
bid process. 

82.  In  homoeopathic  practice  the  diminution  of  the 
dose,  and  its  effect  is  conveniently  accomplished  by 
lessening  the  volume  of  the  dose.  In  using  a  solution 
of  this  kind  a  much  greater  surface  supplied  with  sen- 
sitive nerves,  susceptible  of  medicinal  influence,  is 
brought  in  contact  with  the  medicine,  and  we  must 
take  care  that  the  medicine  is  equally  and  intimately 
imparted  to  every  particle  of  solvent  fluid.  The  effect 
of  medicines  in  liquid  forms  penetrates  and  spreads 
through  all  parts  of  the  organism,  with  such  incon- 
ceivable rapidity,  from  the  point  of  contact  with  the 
sensitive  nerves  supplying  the  tissues,  that  this  effect 
may,  with  propriety,  be  defined  spirit-like  or  dynamic. 


138  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

83.  Remedies  in  their  dynamic  dose,  may  be  given 
by  the  mouth  and  tongue,  by  olfaction,  or  hypodermic- 
ally.  The  most  sensitive  parts  of  the  surface  are,  at 
the  same  time,  the  most  susceptible. 


A   CATECHISM   ON   THE    FIRST   VOLUME    OF 
HAHNEMANN'S  CHRONIC  DISEASES. 


1.  All  chronic  diseases  are  so  inveterate  immedi- 
ately after  they  have  become  developed  in  the  system, 
that,  unless  they  are  thoroughly  cured  by  art,  they 
continue  to  increase  in  intensity  until  the  moment  of 
death.  They  never  disappear  of  themselves,  nor  can 
they  be  diminished,  much  less  conquered  or  extin- 
guished, by  the  most  vigorous  constitution  or  the  most 
regular  mode  of  life  and  strictest  diet. 

2.  Psora  is  the  oldest,  most  universal  and  most  per- 
nicious chronic  miasmatic  disease.  Existing  for  many 
thousands  of  years,  its  morbid  symptoms  have  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  that  its  secondary  symptoms 
have  become  innumerable. 

3.  The  ancient  nations  designated  psora  as  leprosy, 
by  which  the  external  parts  of  the  body  became  vari- 
ously disfigured,  and  during  the  middle  ages  the  Cru- 
saders spread  it  over  Europe.  Cleanliness,  increased 
refinement  and  more  select  nourishment  succeeded  in 
diminishing  the  disgusting  appearance  of  psora  so  as 
to  reduce  the  disease,  towards  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  to  the  ordinary  eruption  of  an  itch.  But 
about  this  time,  1493,  the  second  contagious  chronic 
disease,  syphilis,  began  to  raise  its  fearful  head. 

4.  During  the  first  centuries  of  leprosy  the  patients, 
though  they  suffered    much  in  consequence  of  lanci- 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  139 

nating  pains  in  the  tumors  and  scabs,  and  the  vehe- 
ment itching  all  around,  enjoyed  nevertheless  a  fair 
share  of  general  health,  for  the  obstinately  lasting 
eruption  upon  the  skin  served  as  a  substitute  for  the 
internal  psora,  and  furthermore  the  leprous  patients 
were  kept  apart  from  human  society  and  thus  the  con- 
tagion remained  limited  and  rare. 

5.  But  the  milder  form  of  psora,  in  the  shape  of  an 
itch,  infected  a  far  greater  number  of  people,  and  the 
itch  vesicles  being  constantly  ruptured  by  scratching 
and  their  contents  spread  over  the  skin,  and  those 
things  which  had  been  touched  by  such  patients,  psora 
became  the  most  contagious  and  most  universal  of  the 
chronic  poisons.  Though  this  eruption  by  its  easier  con- 
cealment may  attack  many  persons,  still  the  essence  of 
this  reduced  psora  remains  unchanged,  and  being  more 
easily  repelled  from  the  skin,  it  appears  so  much  more 
imperceptibly  upon  the  inner  surface,  producing  severe 
secondary  ailments. 

6.  At  the  time  before  leprosy  was  reduced,  there 
were  much  less  nervous  affections,  painful  ailments, 
spasms,  cancerous  ulcers,  adventitious  formations, 
weaknesses,  paralysis,  consumptions  and  degenerations 
of  either  mind  or  body,  than  there  are  now,  aided 
probably  by  universal  use  of  coffee  and  tea  for  the  last 
two  centuries. 

7.  The  most  universal  of  external  means  has  done 
an  immense  amount  of  mischief,  for  secondary  ail- 
ments will  sooner  or  later  manifest  themselves  as  re- 
sults of  the  psoric  reaction. 

8.  Many  cases  from  ancient  and  recent  writers  can 
be  cited  to  convince  the  observer  that  the  itch  with  its 
varieties,  tinea  capitis,  crusta  lactea,  herpes,  etc.,  are 
the  external  vicarious  symptoms  of  an  internal  disease 
affecting  the  whole  organism,  and  that  psora  is  the 
most   pernicious  of   all   chronic   poisons.     It    is   well 


140  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

known  that  all  infections  first  attack  the  whole  organ- 
ism internally  before  the  vicarious  affection  manifests 
itself. 

9.  In  acute  diseases,  the  local  symptoms,  together 
with  the  disease,  leave  the  system  as  soon  as  they  have 
run  through  their  regular  course.  In  chronic  diseases 
the  local  affection  may  either  be  removed  or  disappear 
by  itself,  when  at  the  same  time  the  internal  disease 
may  increase,  unless  it  is  cured  by  art. 

10.  In  considering  the  formation  of  the  three  chronic 
maladies,  psora,  sycosis,  syphilis,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  acute  infectious  diseases,  three  cardinal  points 
must  be  noticed:  1,  the  period  when  the  infection  took 
place;  2,  the  period  when  the  whole  organism  began  to 
be  tainted  with  the  infectious  poison,  until  it  became 
a  complete  internal  disease;  3,  the  manifestation  of 
the  external  symptoms,  by  which  nature  indicates  the 
complete  development  of  the  infectious  disease  in  the 
internal  organism. 

11.  The  infection  in  acute  as  well  as  in  chronic 
diseases,  takes  place  in  a  moment,  provided  this  mo- 
ment is  favorable  to  the  contagious  influence;  the  whole 
nervous  system  becomes  infected  in  a  moment.  The 
human  small-pox,  measles,  etc.,  will  run  through  their 
course,  and  the  fever  which  is  peculiar  to  each  of  these 
different  forms  of  infection,  together  with  the  cutane- 
ous eruption,  will  break  out  a  few  days  after  the  inter- 
nal disease  has  completed  its  development. 

12.  The  mode  of  contagion  in  chronic  contagious 
diseases  is  the  same,  but  after  the  internal  disease  is 
completed,  there  is  this  difference,  that  the  chronic 
poison  continues  in  the  organism,  and  even  develops 
itself  from  year  to  year,  unless  it  is  extinguished  and 
thoroughly  cured  by  art. 

13.  Syphilitic  contagion  happens  at  those  places 
which  come  in  contact  with  the  syphilitic  virus  and 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  141 

receive  it  into  themselves  by  friction;  the  internal  or- 
ganism is  roused  in  a  moment  by  this  infection,  and 
not  until  the  internal  disease  is  completely  developed,- 
does  nature  try  to  form  at  the  spot  where  the  contagion 
took  place,  a  local  symptom  as  a  substitute  for  the  in- 
ternal disease.  By  extinguishing  the  internal  disease 
with  an  internal  remedy,  the  chancre  becomes  also 
cured  without  any  external  application. 

14.  Psora  is  the  most  contagious  of  all  chronic  dis- 
eases, as  it  taints  the  system,  especially  that  of  chil- 
dren, by  simply  touching  the  skin.  Not  till  the  whole 
organism  has  been  adapted  to  the  nature  of  the  chronic 
contagious  disease,  do  the  morbidly  affected  vital 
powers  try  to  alleviate  the  internal  disease  by  local 
symptoms  and  the  eruption  is  merely  the  ultimate 
boundary  of  the  psoric  development,  a  substitute  for 
the  internal  disease,  which,  together  with  its  secondary 
ailments,  remains  in  a  latent  condition.  External  ap- 
plications may  check  the  local  symptoms,  but  too  often 
the  internal  psora  is  thus  aggravated. 

15.  There  are  many  symptoms  that  reveal  the  exis- 
tence of  psora,  but  they  cannot  all  be  found  upon 
one  person;  one  has  more,  the  other  less,  in  one  they 
come  out  progressively,  in  another  they  remain  sup- 
pressed; this  depends  greatly  upon  the  constitution  and 
the  external  circumstances  of  the  patient.  These  affec- 
tions do  not  prevent  him  from  leading  a  tolerably 
comfortable  existence,  provided  he  is  young  and  robust, 
is  not  obliged  to  fatigue  himself,  has  all  his  wants  pro- 
vided for,  is  not  exposed  to  chagrin  or  grief  and  has  a 
cheerful,  calm,  patient  and  contented  temper.  In  this 
case  psora  may  continue  slumbering  for  years  without 
becoming  developed  into  a  permanent  chronic  disease. 

16.  However,  a  trival  cause,  an  ordinary  vexation, 
a  cold,  an  irregularity  in  the  diet,  etc.,  may,  in  a  more 
advanced  age,  cause  a  violent  though  short  attack  of 


142  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

disease,  out  of  proportion  with  the  moderately  exciting 
cause,  especially  during  the  fall,  winter  and  early 
spring. 

17.  But  whenever  the  vital  power  has  been  reduced 
by  some  mental  ailments  or  by  a  bodily  affection,  the 
latent  psora  becomes  aroused  and  develops  a  host  of  in- 
veterate symptoms;  some  one  of  the  psoric  chronic  dis- 
eases break  forth,  unless  more  favorable  circumstances 
set  in,  diminishing  the  intensity  of  the  disease  and 
making  its  ulterior  development  more  moderate.  (Here 
follow  the  symptoms  of  the  aroused  psora,  differing 
according  to  the  individuality  of  the  patient  and  the  ex- 
tent of  the  psoric  intoxication.) 

18.  Sycotic  excrescences  are  often  accompanied  with 
a  sort  of  gonorrhoea  from  the  urethra,  are  sometimes 
dry  and  in  the  form  of  warts,  but  more  frequently  soft, 
spongy,  emitting  a  fetid  fluid,  of  a  sweetish  taste, 
bleeding  readily  and  having  the  form  of  a  coxcomb  or 
a  cauliflower.  In  man  they  appear  upon  the  glans 
and  around  or  beneath  the  prepuce;  in  woman  they 
surround  the  pudenda.  Surgery  and  mercury  are  still 
much  abused  in  sycosis;  the  extirpation  of  the  excres- 
cences only  lead  to  their  appearance  at  some  other 
place  and  the  internal  use  of  mercurials  rouses  a  latent 
psora  and  we  deal  then  with  a  combination  of  psora 
and  sycosis.  Our  duty  then  is  to  annihilate  the  psoric 
miasm  by  the  indicated  antipsorics,  and  then  we  use 
the  remedies  indicated  for  sycosis  (Thuja,  Nitric  acid), 
and  for  syphilitic  complications  Mercury  remains  the 
remedy. 

19.  The  syphilitic  contagion  is  much  more  general 
than  the  poison  of  sycosis.  The  treatment  of  syphilis 
is  only  difficult  when  complicated  with  the  psoric 
poison.  The  former  is  rarely  complicated  with  sycosis, 
but  whenever  it  exists  we  meet  psora  as  an  additional 
complication. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  143 

20.  Chancre  and  bubo  are  the  original  representa- 
tives of  syphilis,  and  if  not  interfered  with,  they  might 
remain  during  life  and  no  secondary  symptoms  will 
appear.  By  considering  the  chancre  a  mere  local  ulcer 
and  by  removing  it  by  external  means,  the  disease  is 
forced  to  manifest  itself  throughout  the  organism  with 
all  the  secondary  symptoms  of  a  fully  developed  syphi- 
lis; hence  it  is  that  the  internal  disease  is  most  per- 
manently cured  while  the  chancre  or  the  bubo  are  yet 
existing  as  its  vicarious  types,  especially  in  young  per- 
sons of  a  cheerful  temper,  where  often  one  single  minute 
dose  of  Mercury  suffices,  and  Hahnemann  prefers  that 
preparation  which  goes  by  his  name.  If  more  than 
one  dose  should  be  required,  the  lower  potencies  may 
then  be  employed. 

21.  The  second  stage  sets  in  when  the  chancre  has 
been  speedily  removed  by  external  means,  but  even 
then,  provided  there  is  no  latent  psora,  the  secondary 
symptoms  may  be  prevented  by  the  soluble  Mercury, 
and  the  original  spot  of  the  chancre  can  no  more  be 
traced,  while  without  that  internal  treatment  a  red- 
dish morbid-looking,  red  or  bluish  scar  remains.  Bubo, 
when  not  complicated  with  psora,  only  needs  the  same 
treatment. 

22.  In  the  third  stage  we  find  syphilis  complicated 
with  psora  and  the  patient  suffered  already  from  psora 
when  the  syphilitic  infection  took  place  or  false  inter- 
nal and  external  treatment  caused  a  combination  of 
the  psoric  with  the  syphilitic  element  and  it  take  then 
more  than  one  remedy  to  remove  the  evil  consequences. 
It  may  be  here  observed  that  it  is  the  nature  of  the 
psoric  poison  to  break  forth  in  consequence  of  great 
concussions  of  the  system  and  violent  inroads  upon  the 
general  health. 

23.  In  order  to  reach  this  marked  syphilis  (pseudo 
syphilis),  we  must  remove  from  the  patient  all  hurtful 


144  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

external  influences  and  put  him  on  an  easily  and  vigo- 
rously nourishing  diet  and  regulate  his  general  mode 
of  life.  The  most  appropriate  antipsoric  must  then  be 
selected  which  may  be  followed  by  a  second  antipsoric 
according  to  the  new  symptoms,  and  when  the  latter 
has  accomplished  its  action,  the  single  dose  of  Mercury 
must  be  allowed  to  act  as  long  as  it  is  capable  of  exer- 
cising a  curative  influence. 

24.  In  old  difficult  cases,  ailments  remain  which 
are  neither  purely  psoric  or  syphilitic.  Here  several 
courses  of  antipsorics  are  needed,  until  the  last  trace  of 
all  provocation  has  ceased.  After  this  we  give  a  lower 
potency  of  Mercury  and  allow  it  to  act  until  the  skin 
has  recovered  its  healthy  color  at  the  spot  where  the 
venereal  chancre  stood. 

25.  A  complication  of  the  three  chancre  poisons 
must  be  treated  on  the  same  principles.  Antipsoric  first 
and  then  that  poison  whose  symptoms  are  most  promi- 
nent. Afterwards  the  remaining  portion  of  the  psoric 
symptoms  must  be  removed  and  then  the  last  traces  of 
syphilis  and  sycosis  by  other  adequate  remedies.  A  re- 
turn of  a  healthy  color  of  the  skin  on  places  which  had 
been  affected,  is  the  surest  sign  of  a  perfect  restoration. 

26.  As  long  as  the  psora  eruption  is  yet  existing 
upon  the  skin,  psora  exhibits  itself  in  its  simple  and 
most  natural  integrity,  and  may  be  cured  in  the  easi- 
est, quickest  and  safest  manner;  but  when  the  internal 
disease  is  deprived  of  its  vicarious  symptoms,  the  psoric 
poison  is  forced  to  spread  over  the  most  delicate  parts 
of  the  internal  organism  and  to  develop  its  secondary 
symptoms. 

27.  The  psoric  poison  having  pervaded  millions  of 
organisms  for  thousands  of  years,  has  gradually  devel- 
oped out  of  itself  an  endless  number  of  symptoms,  va- 
ried according  to  differences  of  constitution,  climate, 
residence,  education,  habits,  occupation,  mode  of  life, 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  145 

diet,  and  various  other  bodily  and  mental  influences; 
herein  different  antipsoric  remedies  will  be  required 
for  the  eradication  of  the  psoric  poison. 

28.  Only  the  recent  itch,  with  the  eruption  still  ex- 
isting upon  the  skin,  can  be  completely  cured  by  one 
dose  of  sulphur;  but  such  a  speedy  cure  is  not  always 
possible,  as  the  age  of  the  patient  has  great  influence 
upon  the  result  of  the  treatment.  In  eruptions  which 
have  existed  for  some  time  on  the  skin,  it  ceases  to 
be  a  vicarious  symptom  for  the  internal  disease,  and 
secondary  psoric  affections  will  manifest  themselves; 
in  such  case  sulphur  does  not  suffice,  and  it  requires 
several  antipsorics  for  a  cure. 

29.  With  relation  to  diet  and  mode  of  life,  whatever 
is  injurious  to  the  action  of  the  remedies  must  be  avoided, 
and  with  lingering  diseases  we  must  consider  the  age, 
occupation  and  social  conditions  of  the  patient.  Strict 
diet  alone  will  hardly  ever  cure  a  disease,  and  it  is  un- 
reasonable to  insist  upon  a  mode  of  life  which  is  impos- 
sible for  a  patient  to  follow;  only  that  which  is  generally 
injurious  to  health,  ought  to  be  carefully  avoided. 

30.  Rich  patients  must  walk  more  than  they  usually 
do;  moderate  dancing,  rural  entertainments,  music  and 
amusing  lectures,  theaters  once  in  a  while  are  allow- 
able, but  they  must  never  play  cards;  riding  horse- 
back or  in  a  carriage  ought  to  be  restricted.  All 
amorous  intercouse  and  sensual  excitement,  reading 
lewd  novels,  superstitious  and  exciting  books,  are  to  be 
carefully  avoided. 

31.  The  literary  man  ought  to  take  much  exercise 
in  the  open  air;  in  bad  weather  do  some  light  me- 
chanical work  in  the  house.  During  treatment  he 
ought  to  limit  his  literary  work,  and  in  mental  dis- 
eases reading  must  be  positively  forbidden. 

32.  Chronic  patients  must  avoid  domestic  medi- 
cines and  abstain  from  perfumes.     Those  who  are  ac- 

10  ,  ' 


146  A    COMPEND   OF   THE 

customed  to  wear  wool  may  continue  to  do  so,  but  as 
the  case  progresses  and  the  weather  becomes  warmer, 
cotton  or  linen  ought  to  be  substituted.  Daily  ablu- 
tions are  often  more  advisable  than  baths. 

33.  In  regard  to  eating,  one  should  consent  to  re- 
strictions in  order  to  be  freed  from  a  troublesome 
chronic  disease,  and  only  in  abdominal  affections  re- 
strictions are  more  necessary.  In  regard  to  beverages, 
coffee  has  pernicious  effects  upon  mind  and  body. 
Young  people  do  not  need  it,  and  older  persons  ought 
to  wean  themselves  generally  from  its  use,  and  be  sat- 
isfied with  roast  rye  or  wheat,  whose  smell  and  taste  is 
very  much  like  coffee.  Tea  ought  to  be  entirely  avoided 
during  treatment  of  chronic  diseases.  Old  people  can- 
not be  suddenly  deprived  of  their  wine,  but  by  mixing 
it  with  water  and  sugar,  they  can  gradually  reduce  its 
strength;  in  fact,  the  patient  cannot  be  too  abstemi- 
ous in  relation  to  alcoholic  beverages;  it  is  a  law  of 
nature  that  the  apparent  increase  of  strength  and  ani- 
mal heat  consequent  upon  the  use  of  ardent  spirits 
will  be  followed  by  a  state  of  depression  and  diminu- 
tion of  heat. 

34.  Beer  is  so  much  adulterated,  that  it  becomes  in- 
jurious to  health;  vinegar  and  lemon  juice  are  especi- 
ally hurtful  to  those  who  are  affected  with  nervous 
and  abdominal  complaints;  sweet  fruits  may  be  used 
moderately;  beef,  wheat  or  rye  bread,  cow's  milk  and 
fresh  butter  are  the  most  natural  food,  hence  also  for 
chronic  patients.  Next  to  beef  comes  mutton,  game, 
old  chickens,  young  pigeons.  Goose,  duck,  or  pork  are 
less  admissible.  Salt  and  smoked  meats  ought  to  be 
used  in  great  moderation.  Fish  ought  to  be  boiled 
and  eaten  without  any  spiced  sauces;  herrings  and 
sardines  in  moderate  quantities.  Moderation  in  both 
eating  and  drinking  is  a  sacred  duty  for  all  chronic 
patients. 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  147 

35.  Restriction  in  the  use  of  tobacco  is  especially 
necessary  when  the  intellectual  functions  are  affected, 
when  the  patient  does  not  sleep  well,  is  dyspeptic  and 
constipated. 

36.  Excessive  fatigue,  working  in  marshy  regions, 
injuries  and  wounds,  excessive  heat  or  cold,  starvation, 
poverty,  unwholesome  food  are  less  capable  of  rousing 
latent  psora  or  aggravating  a  manifest  psoric  disease 
than  an  unhappy  marriage  or  a  gnawing  conscience. 
Grief  and  sorrow  are  the  chief  causes  which  either  de- 
velop latent  psora  or  aggravate  an  already  existing 
secondary  psoric  affection. 

37.  Mineral  springs  and  all  medicinal  influences 
ought  to  be  avoided  and  when  the  patient  used  them, 
he  ought  to  abstain  for  some  time  from  all  medicines 
and  follow  a  strict  diet  in  the  country. 

38.  All  excesses  injure  mind  and  body;  by  vicious 
practices  the  most  robust  bodies  often  fail  and  the 
latent  psora  entering  in  combination  with  a  badly 
managed  syphilitic  poison  gives  origin  to  most  distress- 
ing diseases.  We  must  then  remove  first  the  psoric 
poison  and  thus  prevent  all  secondary  chronic  affec- 
tions. 

39.  The  physician  must  never  interrupt  the  action 
of  an  antipsoric  remedy  nor  exhibit  an  intermediate 
remedy  on  account  of  every  trifling  ailment;  a  care- 
fully selected  remedy  should  act  till  it  has  completed 
its  effect. 

40.  Suppose  the  remedy  calls  out  symptoms  which 
have  existed  before,  this  apparent  aggravation  and  the 
development  of  new  symptoms  show  that  the  remedy 
has  attacked  the  disease  in  its  inmost  nature,  and  it 
must  be  left  undisturbed. 

41.  Should  the  remedy  cause  new  symptoms,  which 
may  be  supposed  to  be  inherent  to  the  medicine,  the 
remedy  should  be  permitted  to  act   for  a  while  and 


V-  OF   THK 

UNIVrR 
Of 


148  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

generally  these  symptoms  will  disappear;  but  if  they 
are  troublesome,  they  show  that  the  remedy  was  not 
properly  chosen,  and  an  antidote,  if  known,  must  be 
given  or  another  suitable  antipsoric  selected. 

42.  A  homoeopathic  aggravation  is  a  proof  that  a 
cure  may  be  anticipated  with  certainty;  but  if  the  origi- 
nal symptoms  continue  with  the  same  intensity,  it 
shows  that  too  large  a  dose  made  the  cure  impossible, 
neutralizing  its  genuine  homoeopathic  effects  and  caus- 
ing a  medicinal  disease  by  the  side  of  the  natural  dis- 
turbances. We  then  select  an  antipsoric  which  corres- 
ponds to  the  symptoms  of  the  natural  and  of  the  arti- 
ficial disease.  Should  the  same  antipsoric  be  still  in- 
dicated, we  must  give  it  in  a  much  higher  potency  and 
in  a  more  minute  dose.  The  doses  can  scarcely  be  too 
much  reduced,  provided  the  effects  of  the  remedy  are 
not  disturbed  by  improper  food. 

43.  The  physician  ought  to  avoid  three  mistakes, 
that  the  dose  can  be  too  small,  the  improper  use  of  the 
remedy,  and  in  not  letting  the  remedy  act  a  sufficient 
length  of  time.  The  surest  and  safest  way  of  hastening 
a  cure  is  to  let  the  medicine  act  as  long  as  the  improve- 
ment of  the  patient  continues. 

44.  Psora  is  a  troublesome  thing  to  deal  with,  ex- 
acerbations show  only  that  the  disease  is  writhing  un- 
der the  action  of  the  remedy,  but  they  will  progressively 
diminish  in  frequency  and  intensity  if  not  interfered 
with  by  a  new  remedy,  for  the  benign  action  of  the 
former  remedy,  which  was  manifesting  itself,  is  thus 
probably  lost. 

45.  A  second  dose  of  the  selected  remedy  is  only 
indicated  when  the  improvement  which  the  first  dose 
had  produced,  by  causing  the  morbid  symptoms  gradu- 
ally to  become  less  frequent  and  less  intense,  ceases  to 
continue  after  the  lapse  of  fourteen,  ten  or  seven  days, 
when  it  is  evident  that  the  medicine  has  ceased  to  act; 


Principles  of  Homceopathy.  149 

the  condition  of  the  mind  is  the  same  as  before,  and  no 
new  or  troublesome  symptoms  have  made  their  ap- 
pearance. It  may  be  expedient  to  give  this  second 
minute  dose  in  a  somewhat  lower  potency. 

46.  Sulphur,  hepar,  and  sepia  excepted,  the  other 
antipsorics,  seldom  admit  of  a  favorable  repetition  of 
the  same  drug.  One  antipsoric  having  fulfilled  its  ob- 
ject, the  modified  series  of  symptoms  generally  requires 
another  remedy.  In  cases  treated  by  the  old  school  it 
may  be  necessary  to  interpolate,  once  in  a  while,  a 
dose  of  sulphur  or  hepar,  according  to  indications. 

47.  Alternating  remedies  in  rapid  succession  is  a 
sure  sign  that  the  right  remedy  was  not  selected,  or 
that  the  symptoms  were  only  carelessly  studied.  By 
such  mismanagement  remedial  agents  seem  to  lose  all 
their  power,  and  mesmeric  action  may  succeed  in  calm- 
ing the  system.  Let  the  palms  of  both  your  hands 
rest  for  about  a  minute  upon  the  vertex,  then  move 
them  slowly  down  the  body,  across  the  neck,  shoul- 
ders, arms,  hands,  knees,  legs,  feet  and  toes;  this  pass 
may  be  repeated. 

48.  The  irritability  of  the  patient  may  also  be 
calmed  by  directing  him  to  smell  a  globule  moistened 
with  the  highest  potency  of  the  homoeopathic  medi- 
cine. By  smelling  of  the  medicine,  its  influence  may 
be  communicated  to  the  patient  in  any  degree.  By  in- 
creasing the  number  of  inspirations  the  power  of  the 
medicine  steadily  increases. 

49.  Globules,  kept  in  corked  vials,  protected  from 
heat  and  sunshine,  preserve  their  medicinal  powers  for 
years. 

50.  Placebos  are  in  order  where  the  patient  wishes 
to  take  medicine  every  day. 

51.  The  cure  of  a  chronic  disease  may  be  often  re- 
tarded by  bodily  or  mental  accidents,  or  intercurrent 
diseases,  due  to  malaria  or  meteoric  influences,  may  set 


150  A   COMPEND   OF   THE 

in,  interrupting  the  antipsoric  treatment  sometimes  for 
several  weeks,  and  olfaction  of  the  non-antipsoric 
remedy  may  suffice  for  the  removal  of  the  intermediate 
disease. 

52.  After  the  intercurrent  disease  is  removed,  the 
symptoms  of  the  original  chronic  disease  may  be  modi- 
fied or  morbid  symptoms  may  manifest  themselves  in 
other  parts  of  the  body.  The  patient  must  be  thor- 
oughly re-examined,  so  that  the  appropriate  remedy 
may  be  chosen. 

53.  Great  epidemic  diseases,  improperly  treated  and 
permitted  to  complete  their  course,  arouse  the  latent 
psoric  poison  often  to  a  high  degree  of  intensity,  mani- 
festing itself  in  innumerable  forms,  and  antipsoric 
treatment  is  the  only  safeguard. 

54.  The  obstinate  character  of  endemic  diseases  is 
due  to  some  psoric  complication  or  the  action  of  the 
psoric  poison  modified  by  the  peculiar  influence  of  the 
locality  and  the  peculiar  mode  of  life  of  its  inhabitants. 
The  marshy  exhalations,  especially  of  hot  countries, 
appear,  on  account  of  their  paralyzing  influence  over 
the  vital  forces,  to  be  one  of  the  most  powerful  excit- 
ants of  the  psoric  poison,  which  can  only  be  calmed  by 
antipsoric  treatment.  Recently  developed  symptoms 
are  the  first  to  yield  to  the  action  of  the  antipsorics, 
the  older  symptoms,  which  have  permanently  existed, 
are  the  last  to  disappear,  hence  local  sj^mptoms  only 
pass  off  after  the  general  health  has  been  completely 
restored,  and  we  must  not  be  contented  till  the  last 
vestige  of  psora  is  removed. 

55.  A  great  chronic  disease  may  be  cured  in  the 
space  of  one  or  two  years,  provided  it  was  not  mis- 
managed to  the  extent  of  having  become  incurable.  In 
young  robust  persons  half  this  space  of  time  is  suffici- 
ent. If  we  consider  that  the  psoric  poison  has  gradu- 
ally ramified  into  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  organism, 


Principles  of  Homoeopathy.  lol 

patient  and  physician  understand  why  much  time 
must  be  necessary  to  master  this  parasitical  enemy 
that  has  assailed  the  most  delicate  roots  of  the  tree  of 
life. 

56.  Where  antipsoric  treatment  is  properly  conduc- 
ted, the  strength  of  the  patient  increases  from  the  start 
and  this  increase  in  strength  continues  during  the 
whole  treatment  until  the  organism  unfolds  anew  its 
regenerate  life. 

57.  The  best  time  for  taking  an  antipsoric  is  the 
morning,  before  breakfast  and  the  patient  ought  then 
to  wait  about  an  hour  before  eating  or  drinking  any- 
thing. 

58.  Antipsorics  should  neither  be  taken  immedi- 
ately before  nor  during  menstruation.  If  the  menses 
appear  too  soon,  too  abundant,  and  last  too  long,  she 
may  smell  on  the  fourth  day  of  a  globule  of  a  high  po- 
tency of  nux  vomica,  and  several  days  after  the  anti- 
psoric may  be  taken.  Nux  restores  the  harmony  of 
the  nervous  functions  and  calms  that  irritability  which 
inhibits  the  action  of  the  antipsoric. 

59.  Pregnancy  offers  a  brilliant  sphere  of  action  to 
antipsoric  remedies,  but  only  the  highest  potencies 
ought  to  be  employed.  Nurslings  ought  to  get  their 
medicine  through  the  milk  of  the  mother  or  wet  nurse. 

60.  The  vital  force,  if  left  to  itself,  tries  to  palliate 
by  producing  secretions  and  evacuations,  or  diarrhoeas, 
vomiting,  sweats,  ulcers,  hemorrhages,  etc.,  but  they 
produce  only  an  apparent  alleviation  of  the  primitive 
disease,  and  in  fact  increase  it  on  account  of  the  great 
loss  of  nutritious  pabulum  which  the  patient  has  suf- 
fered. 

61.  At  the  beginning  of  the  antipsoric  treatment 
constipation  is  often  the  great  bugbear  of  the  patient, 
and  an  injection  of  pure  tepid  water  may  be  allowed, 
which  may  be  several  times  repeated,  until  the  anti- 


152 


Principles  of  Homceopathy. 


psoric  remedies  succeed  to  regulate  the  proofs  of  intes- 
tinal evacuation.  Sulphur  and  lycopodium  act  most 
favorably  under  those  circumstances.  Hot  baths  inter- 
fere with  the  effects  of  antipsoric  treatment. 

62.  The  smallest  possible  electrical  sparks  aid  the 
antipsoric  treatment  by  animating  those  parts  of  the 
body  which  had  been  long  affected  with  paralysis  or 
insensibility. 


INDEX 


Page. 

Absence  of  characteristics  in  totality 61 

Absolute  symptoms 58 

Active  principle 115 

Acute  diseases 73 

Aequalia  Aequalibus 12 

Administration  of  antipsoric  remedies 80 

Acute  insanity . 88 

Affections  of  external  parts 85 

Alternating  diseases 88 

Age  and  sex  in  proving 33 

Aggravation  of  symptoms 66,  91 

Allen's  Encyclopaedia 26 

Allopathy 4 

Alternating  groups  of  symptoms 52 

"  remedies 65 

Amelioration  of  symptoms 66 

Alcohol 101 

Attenuations 104 

A  ntipathy 4 

Antidotal  relation 46 

Application  of  Homoeopathy 49 

Antidotal  medication 57 

Appearance  of  new  symptoms , 66 

Antipsoric  remedies 80 

"  •'        for  females 81 

Apyrexia,  importance  of 88 

Aqua  distillata , 101 

Aqueous  solutions 102 

Bacteriology 4 

Basis  of  Therapeutics 11 

Biochemistry 4 

Bodily  constitutions S3 

Boeninghausen's  method 43 

"  quoted 71 

"  Therapeutic  Pocket  Book 29 

Bradford's  Life  of  Hahnemann  quoted 97 

Capper  Dr.  Edmund  quoted 95 


154  Index. 

Page. 

Catechism  of  Organon 117 

"           "  Chronic  Diseases 138 

Cause  of  recurrence  of  chronic  diseases 76 

Centesimal  scale 104 

Characteristic  symptoms     38,  55 

"             features  of  sycosis 82 

Cinchona  experiment 9 

Classification  of  drugs 18 

"             "  diseases 73 

Clinical  symptoms 26 

"               "         how  designated 28 

Contraria  Contrariis  opponenda 18 

Coccophobia .* 4 

Comparative  value  of  sources  of  Materia  Medica 27 

Comj)lementary  Relation 47 

Comparative  value  of  Toxicology  and  Provings 20 

Concomitants 42 

Concordant  or  Compatible  Relation 46 

Collateral  relation  of  drugs 45 

Collective  Totality  of  Epidemics 54 

Constitutional  defects 56 

Contingent  or  peculiar  symptoms   58 

Conversion  of  trituration  to  liquids 106 

Cones 108 

Croll,  a  disciple  of  Paracelsus  6 

Curantur  or  Curentur 8 

Curative  Medicine 3 

"       Symptoms 26 

"               "          where  found 26 

•«              "         \alueof 27 

Cyclopaedia  of  Drug Pathogenesy 26 

Dake,  J.  P.,  quoted 5 

Decimal  scale 104 

Diagnostic  Symptoms 61 

Diet  during  Homoeopathic  treatment 71 

Direct  effects  of  drugs 18 

Dioscorides'  classification 18 

Difi*erence  between  two  schools  of  Medicine 22 

Different  effects  of  drugs  on  animals 17 

"        applications  of  drug  action 21 

"        dosages 90 

Dilutions  and  potencies 95,  104 

Directions  for  pro  vers 32 

Discovery  of  law  of  cure 74 


Index.  1 


00 


Page. 

Distilled  water 101 

Disks 108 

Doctrine  of  signatures 15 

"  dynamization 95 

' '  chronic  diseases 74 

Dosage 90 

• '     for  provers 32 

Drugs — drug  action 14 

* '      preparation  of 102 

Drug- proving 19 

' '     relationship 45 

' '     action  on  animals , 17 

' '    pathogenesy 20 

' '    as  embodied  forces 48 

"     diseases 74 

"    power,  unit  of ...   102 

Dudgeon,  R.  E.,  quoted  8 

Dunham  quoted 33,  52 

Dynamization  theory ; 95 

Dynamis 109 

Dynamic  origin  of  disease 1 10 

Elective  aflSnity  of  drugs 40 

Empiricism 3 

Environment  of  drugs 42 

Essential  conditions  for  preparing  homoeopathic  medicines. . ,     99 

Eradicative  treatment 83 

Essential  features  of  every  symptom 35 

Etiology  in  the  totality 52,  56 

Experimental  Pharmacology  16 

Examination  of  the  patient 49 

Evolution  of  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica 23 

•'  doctrine  of  chronic  diseases 74 

Examples  of  pathological  similarity 60 

External  impediments 85 

**        treatment 86 

Failure  in  treatment  of  chronic  diseases 75 

Family  relationship  of  drugs 45 

First  book  on  drug  effects 23 

"    promulgation  of  Homoeopathy 9 

' '    symptoms 55 

Fresh  plant  tinctures 103 

Frost,  J.  H.  P.,  on  key-note  symptoms 39 

Functional  symptoms 57 

General  drug  symptoms 38,  54 


156  Index. 

Page. 

General  or  absolute  symptoms 58 

Globules '. 108 

Gonorrhoea — two  forms 82 

Gray,  Thomas  J. ,  quoted 114 

Grauvogl  quoted 15 

Guiding  symptoms 39 

Hahnemann  on  alternation 65 

"diet 71 

' '           *'  palliatives 18 

Hahnemannian  pathology 81 

' '            philosophy 109 

"            schema 28 

"            similarity 59 

Hahnemann's  precautionary  rules 68 

' '            directions  for  triturations 105 

"            early  dosage 92 

"            early  use  of  single  remedy 64 

"            golden  rule 94 

• '            method  of  proving 36 

'*           reasons  why  potencies  are  ridiculed 97 

"            nosology 73 

**            suggestions  for  giving  antipsorics   80 

"            suggestions  for  treating  chronic  diseases 84 

**            teaching  on  repetition  of  dose 93 

Hale,  E.  M.,  contributions  to  Materia  Medica 25 

Haller,  Albert  von 19 

Hayward,  Dr.  J.,  quoted 107 

Heredity 83 

Hering,  Dr.  C,  provings 25 

"      Kules  34 

"      Guiding  Symptoms  26,28 

Historical  development  of  homoeopathic  dosage 92 

Homoeopathy,  science  of  Therapeutics 10 

•'             first  promulgation 9 

"             its  development 9 

"             its  great  central  truths 11 

"              what  constitutes  it 49 

Homoeopathic  relationship 21 

"             Materia  Medica ...    23 

"  dosage   91 

*'             aggravation 91 

"             pharmacy 99 

•'             tinctures 103 

How  to  learn  drug  pathogenesy 29 


Index.  157 

Page. 

How  to  describe  symptoms 34 

Hygroscopic  substances,  preparation  of 102 

Index  of  symptoms 29 

Individualization  55 

Inimical  Relation 47 

Indicated  remedy  63 

Interpretation  of  Drug  Pathogenesy 38 

"Totality 54 

Insanity 87 

Isopathy 12 

Intermittant  diseases 88 

Jorg's  provings 26 

Journal  of  British  Homoeopathic  Society,  quoted 108 

Keynote  symptoms 30,  39 

Kimball,  Dr.  S.,  quoted 56 

Late  symptoms 56 

Lactose  100 

Lawson  Tait,  quoted 4 

Lilienthal,  Samuel,  Catachism 117 

Liquid  attenuations 104 

List  of  medicines  first  proved 23 

•'  "  Anti  psorics 80 

Locality  in  drug  action 40 

Local  affections 85 

**     applications 86,  116 

Materia  Medica 14 

'♦      Pura 24 

Material  Causes 115 

Medical  habits 52 

Medicinal  Force 14,  113 

Medicines,  their  preparation 99 

Medicinal  Therapeutics 3 

Methods  of  determining  properties  of  drugs 16 

"         "  treating  slight  ailments 60 

Menstrua  used  in  Homoeopathic  pharmacy 100 

Mental  picture  of  a  drug 41 

Mental  state  important 51,  87 

"       symptoms 55 

"      state  embarrassed 67 

Miasms 81 

Mental  diseases 87 

Modalities 35,  42,  55 

Myxedema 6 

Names  of  early  provers 24 


158  Index. 

Page. 

Names  of  first  medicines  proved    23 

Necessity  of  smallness  of  homoeopathic  dose 91 

Need  of  pathology 57 

• '     "  dynamized  medicines 112 

Nosodes    12 

Nosology 73 

Objections  to  Antipathic  Treatment -.  7 

Objective  symptoms 53 

Objections  to  keynote  prescribing 63 

"           "  pathological  basis 63 

"           "  local  treatment 86 

Officinal  alcohol 101 

Old  modalities 68 

Oldest  symptoms 55 

Olfaction  of  medicines 97 

One-sided  diseases 61 

Organon— Catechism  on 117 

Organo— Therapeutics 6 

Origin  of  acute  diseases 73 

"        "  chronic     " 73 

"       "  drugs  for  homoeepathic  use 100 

Palliative  medicine 2 

Palliatives 18 

Paracelsus,  quoted 16,  112 

Partial  diseases 61,  85 

Pathognomonic  symptoms 53 

Pathogenesy 20 

Pathogenetic  symptoms  26 

"                    "        value  of 27 

Pathological  theories 4 

Pathology,  need  of 57 

Pathological  similarity 59 

Peculiar  symptoms 55 

Pellets 108 

Perfect  symptoms  35 

Pernicious  effects  of  large  doses 69 

Prenatal  treatment   84 

Pharmacology 14 

Ptomaines 13 

Physiological  action  of  drugs 17 

dose 17 

Pre  ventive  Medicine 2 

Provers  of  Drugs 25 

Proving  of  Medicines 31 


Index.  159 

Page. 

Proving  of  medicines— General  rules 31 

Provers,  Female 32 

"      Directions  for 32 

Publication  of  Chronic  Diseases 25 

"             "   Materia  Medica  Pura 24 

Primary  and  secondarj'  drug  effects 36 

Precautions  in  taking  the  Totality 51 

Prescriber's  attitude  after  first  prescription 66 

Precautionary  Rules  of  Hahnemann 68 

Psora 77 

Pregnane}^,  antipsorics  in 81 

Rademacher ...  40 

Radiant  state  of  matter 96 

Reappearance  of  old  symptoms 67 

Reflex  symptoms 58 

Regimen  in  acute  diseases 71 

Relationship  of  drugs 22 

Allopathic , 22 

Reasons  for  smallness  of  Homoeopathic  dose 91 

Repertories 29 

Re-provings 34 

Repetition  of  doses 93 

Rotation  of  remedies  .    65 

Rules  for  Totality 59 

Schuessler's  method 5 

Second  Prescription 66 

Sensations  in  drug-action 41 

Serum  Therapy 12 

Signatures 15 

Similia,  S.  C 8 

Similar  remedy 63 

Similimum 63 

Simple  remedy 64 

Single  remedy  64 

Skin  phase  of  chronic  diseases 77 

Sleep  in  acute  diseases 66 

Smallness  of  dose 69 

Specifics  4 

Sources  of  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica 26 

Specific  alkaloids   , 13 

Stapf,  Dr.,  quoted 12 

**          call  to  Coethen 76 

Subjective  symptoms 52 

Sub-physiological  dosage 92 


160  Index. 

Page. 

Succussion,  eflfects  of , 97 

Suggestions  for  treatment  of  chronic  diseases 84 

Sugar  of  milk 100 

Suppression  of  skin  diseases 79 

'•          ' *  gonorrhoea 82 

Suppressed  sycosis 83 

Sycosis 81 

Sycotis  gonorrhoea 82 

Tablets 108 

Temperament  in  provings 33 

Tinctures . .   103 

Theories  and  hypothesis 11 

Therapeutics 1 

Three  methods  of  treatment 1 

"     essential  features  of  every  symptom 35 

"     precautionary  rules  of  Hahnemann 68 

Toxicology,  value  of 20,  27 

Totality  of  symptoms 50 

"        in  acute  diseases 53 

**        of  quality 59 

Treatment  of  drug  diseases 74 

Triturations 104 

True  meaning  of  symptoms 57 

Two  ways  for  drug  action 21 

"    kinds  of  gonorrhoea 81 

Underlying  facts  of  psoric  theory 78 

Unit  of  medicinal  strength 102 

Vital  force 110 

* '    principle  in  drugs 113 

Wilkinson  J.  J.  Garth,  quoted 83 

Winnowing  process  in  interpreting  totality 54 


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